Small things, mostly

Something I learnt early on in my life was never to trust people who promise to do good to “our people” by doing bad to “them people.”

The Rex was where the journalists, spies and such people used to meet during the war years.

I am back in Shanghai after 16 years.

The Lotte logo illuminates the heavy air.

The thing about bookshops is serendipity.

Walking along a narrow alley in Hanoi’s Japanese town, I spotted this art featuring the map of Bangladesh.

The only problem with going to Imphal is that I will then want to go to Burma.

Nice to see a new bookshop in the city.

Kagurazaka neighbourhood of Tokyo.

I have not spent as much time in Osaka compared to Tokyo.

At Barcamp Phnom Penh, it was good to see several services that use mobile/web to help local businesses reach local (or people visiting your city) customers via a locally built platform versus trying to shoehorn something that was originally made for anot…

It is always nice to be back at Barcamp Phnom Penh.

There was a time when I was afraid to go to a Sento, a Japanese public bathhouse.

There is a town in Japan that is famous for octopus snacks.

Some weeks ago, I was waiting for gyoza at an izakaya in Saigon’s Japanese town.

I used to give away little handmade fabric fish to helpful people I met during my travels.

If you have attended any culture/travel discussion that I have hosted, you will find me give away novels or anthologies set in the region that we are discussing.

Vietnamese danger skulls are always looking sideways.

Anak semua bangsa, I remembered this phrase when I heard Mita speak fluent Bahasa Indonesia.

My favourite culture-hack to understand a city is to have a book meet.

I spent the afternoon to late night at the Thai enclave in Singapore.

Jun treated me to dinner at one of her favorite places.

In 2012, I got rid of my computer and decided to go full time working on an iPad.

In Qui Nhơn, the site of the ancient Cham city of Vijaya.

“Little sister.

Phnom Penh’s long standing movie hall Ciné Lux built in the late 1930s has closed down.

If you are interested in the history of Osaka or in the life of immigrants, I will recommend a book called “Pachinko”.

I did not realise that I was taking pictures of Saigon with a camera that is made near Hanoi.

I have a lover, and she is prettiest at night.

People often ask me why I am addicted to this city.

What is an un-conference?

Trang messaged to say she has a new place and we could do something with it.

I was walking around downtown Saigon and I saw a strange sight: a cardboard box moving by itself and it was making crying sounds.

Once in a while it is good to be in Singapore and try the local food.

I read how national airlines in India, are being asked to end their announcements with a patriotic slogan.

I dislike having many gadgets, charging plugs and cables.

The tyranny of CC.

Some years back I found a travel book on India written and illustrated by a Japanese stage designer Senoh Kappa.

Scenarios from popular web TV shows such as Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul can be used to trigger conversations on ethics and marketing.

One suggestion I always have for people travelling to South Asia or the fast-developing countries in South East Asia is to check the review website for any mention of nearby constructions when you book a hotel.

This is a street food I always look for when I am in Taiwan.

When I was a kid, I would dig holes in the backyard hoping to find artefacts from some lost civilisation.

I will tell you a trick to get free drinks in Vietnam that will work this week: Pretend that you are from Malaysia.

One of my favorite eating places is a small shop that serves only one dish, the Indian curry.

Once in a while, I get modestly interested in what this large tech company is doing.

I made such criticisms not because I hated all the countries that I have known but because I love them.

Most shoes sold by big brands in South East Asia are not designed for local climes.

I was in Jakarta to watch an Afghan movie.

She said she does not believe in Valentine’s Day or Halloween.

Why do you travel to Jakarta so often?