For a free giraffe (Vietnam)
November 1, 2022
A few years ago, Thao invited me to Saigon’s Pham Viet Chanh neighborhood, promising free views of giraffes (and other tall animals) from the Saigon
Holland Village (Singapore)
July 22, 2022
The stamps dispensed by the Singapore Post machine next door are printed on demand, and they’re dull—which is a pity because Singapore has such
Why I love Saigon (Vietnam)
July 2, 2022
As I was sketching on my iPad in a cozy café in Saigon’s Japan Town, a girl came over and showed me a drawing she had made of me. I am already
It was good knowing the curious (China)
June 21, 2022
China let us in homes and hearts, in the coldest North and the wildest West. China fed us and stayed up all night partying with us. It was nice
Postage stamps (Vietnam)
December 20, 2021
This one is thin and small, but it’s important. When you had something you wanted to tell someone, you would write it down on a piece of paper and
Travelogues and travels (Vietnam)
December 10, 2021
For some years now, I have received Vietnamese travellers’ messages sharing their experiences or looking for experiences beyond sightseeing. I
A large object that makes familiar sounds (Singapore)
October 20, 2021
In Singapore, my sometimes lunchtime places are in the Korean food neighborhood of Bukit Timah. There is a little mischievous kid who darts in and
The little phone (Vietnam)
February 2, 2021
I was fond of my iPhone 5s. Even after upgrading to a newer model, I continued using it as my travel phone. It felt nice to hold — small but solid.
iPoh (Malaysia)
February 1, 2021
You know you’re spending too much time on Apple stuff when you start spelling a certain Malaysian city as iPoh. The iPoh train station
Favorite bookstores in Southeast Asia (Cambodia)
October 2, 2020
These shops are not just about books, but this is where I met many interesting people in these cities. Visiting these places on my travels often
A return to Shanghai (China)
January 10, 2020
I am back in Shanghai after 16 years. And back in mainland China after 10 years. I didn’t get a chance to spend a lot of time out and about, but I
Travels with the Korean fish
October 2, 2019
I used to give away little handmade fabric fish to helpful people I met during my travels. I bought them in bulk from a Korean gift shop in
The precious (Vietnam)
October 2, 2019
Some weeks ago, I was waiting for gyoza at an izakaya in Saigon’s Japanese town. I noticed a young woman sitting at the far end of the bar counter
Cindy and Banh Béo (Vietnam)
July 15, 2019
Cindy treated me to dinner at one of her favorite places— a small street shop near the airport that sells Banh Béo—
Cine Lux and the Ahp (Cambodia)
April 30, 2019
Ciné Lux built in the late 1930s has closed down. I used to cross the busy intersection here to reach my home at street 172. They always showed Thai
The kitten that rescued us (Vietnam)
March 18, 2019
I was walking around downtown Saigon and I saw a strange sight: a cardboard box moving by itself and it was making crying sounds. Looking closer, I
Little friends (China)
October 18, 2018
The first friends I made in China were three kids. Literally 小朋友。 In early 2001, I skipped the tourist spots in Guilin city and headed to a
Shocking Pink (Burma)
June 26, 2018
That’s what we call shocking pink. The old and new have always been colliding in Yangon. I like the variety of fashion and styles that people
Rains of (Burma)
June 20, 2018
Testing a waterproof phone in Burma
Knowing tribes and people (Vietnam)
June 9, 2018
There is a Quranic verse that speaks to my heart. We made you into peoples and tribes so that you may know one another. Nothing makes me more happy
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