On our penultimate day in Samarkand, grey clouds persistently hung over the city. But we had anticipated this and decided that we would spend the…
A Silent Witness of Kaohsiung’s Upheavals
Imagine having a front-row seat to a spectacle that lasts not merely for a few hours, but for centuries. The southern tip of a hill…
Shah-i-Zinda: The Turquoise Necropolis
There are many ways to remember those who have died. However, it has been proven over and over again that a very special person usually…
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,…
Buddhist Treasures Beneath A Rock
Close your eyes, and hold them for a few minutes… then slowly open them, only when you feel you’re ready. Do you see the infinite…
Cijin Island: Kaohsiung’s Natural Protector
Imagine a city by the sea, prone to the occasionally destructive forces of nature, be it strong gusts or crushing waves. Now picture a small…
Registan: The Jewel of the Silk Road
The taxi that took us from the train station weaved through the streets of Samarkand. We had just arrived from Tashkent on a two-hour journey…
Bibi-Khanym Mosque: Too Big for Its Own Good
When one strolls around the downtown area of Samarkand, the Registan will undoubtedly take the spotlight. It is to Uzbekistan what Machu Picchu is to…
Island Life in Cheung Chau
Hong Kong is a calm, slow, idyllic, low-rise, and bicycle-friendly place with lots of greenery and nice white-sand beaches. Sounds hard to believe? That’s because…
Eating Well in Kyoto
Carefully I clamped the round pressed sushi with my chopsticks, trying to figure out the correct way to eat these larger-than-normal rolls of rice and…