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Flower seller in Durban Square, Kathmandu Why do I spend irresponsibly on travel when I’m so responsible in every other facet of my life? One week only sale to Nepal? Book it! Last minute 14-day cruise for $499? I’m there! Go camping for two months straight? Sure! Why do I love getting lost in travel … Continue reading
A few months ago, I wrote a post about what Star Trek has taught me about travel. It remains one of my favorite posts to date. I love the way the crew of the Enterprise sought to interact with the indigenous population (especially when they were either green or furry), without leaving a trace, taking … Continue reading
I’ve always been somewhat cold-hearted. I’m not sure whether it’s a byproduct of my “Field Marshal” personality where there’s “not much room for error” and where “feelings are a weakness”. Or perhaps it’s simply been honed (or blunted?) by 11 years of seeing daily poverty in Asia. My first visceral reaction to the divide between … Continue reading
I don’t know where I got the bargaining gene from. Certainly not from my middle-class suburban Virginia upbringing. Maybe it stems from being ultra-competitive in almost anything I do and just hating to lose. Either way, it’s served me well in my travels abroad and specifically the past 11 years in SE Asia, first in … Continue reading
There’s something to be said about old friends. Sure, new friends are great, too. There’s that whole period where you’re just getting to know each other and every new detail makes that person seem that much more awesome. Wow! Really? You’ve been to Antarctica? That’s just so awesome. And you used to be in a … Continue reading
For the last 10 years, I’ve been in the strange position of ushering in the new year not once, not twice but three times a year. That’s a lot of resolutions, people. There’s International New Year on January 1, followed by the Chinese / Vietnamese Lunar New Year that’s usually somewhere between the end of … Continue reading
I’m officially unemployed. Wow. It feels weird to say that out loud. I know we all consciously resist the idea of letting what we do define who we are, but is that really possible when it’s always the 2nd or 3rd question that people ask you? Wonder how I’ll answer that inevitable question now when … Continue reading
I’m always intrigued by finding out how things are made. And because labor is so cheap in SE Asia, an incredible array of things are made by hand that you would never expect. For instance, ever wonder where feather dusters are born? Well, I found out one morning when I came across a tiny old … Continue reading
It had to happen sooner or later. The world economic downturn took the better part of a year to really find its way to Cambodia, but when it came, it came with a vengeance. One report said that within 6 months, 51,000 of 350,000 garment factory workers were laid off, this in Cambodia’s leading export … Continue reading
It’ll soon be my 10th anniversary of living in Asia and more specifically in Cambodia. Being ethnically Vietnamese, a lot of things have come really easy. Looking Asian: My Western friends get stared at anytime they do something interesting. Like riding a bicycle. Or walking along the road. Or breathing. It’s nice to kind of … Continue reading
fly, Icarus, fly 