On Walden Pond
Henry David Thoreau put Walden Pond on the map by spending two years, two months, and two days living in a self-constructed cabin on its shores. He famously said of […]
Category Archives: Asia
Long Hill: A Bit of Charleston in Boston
There’s history everywhere you look in Boston — and even its great swath of suburbs offers hundreds of glimpses into the past. For one of these, drive north for less […]
An Afternoon in Bishan
There are all sorts of neighborhoods and old housing estates in Singapore, but few are as well known as the satellite town of Bishan. No one seems to mind that […]
Happy Hari Raya!
Today is Hari Raya Puasa, the end Ramadan, which signifies the end of a long month of daytime fasting for Muslims around the world. “Hari Raya” means “the great day […]
A World of Toys
Last weekend I paid a visit to Singapore’s MINT Museum of Toys. The idea holds promise: over 8,500 vintage and collectible toys from 40 different countries. Given that alone, it […]
The Delights of Granville Public Market
I’ve been to a lot of markets in my time. And unless I happen nearby, I’ll usually go once, enjoy myself throughly, and never go back. But I loved the […]
A Burst of Spring: Vancouver’s Botanical Garden
It’s spring in Vancouver, and what a glorious thing that can be! If the sun is shining while you’re in town, it’s well worth making a trip to the VanDusen […]
10 Reasons to Visit Yogyakarta
My mother, cousin and paid a visit to Yogyakarta, a city on the Indonesian island of Java — and I’m ready to go right back! It’s a wonderful place with […]
Prambanan: Towers to the Gods
Just an hour to the northeast of Yogyakarta, on the Indonesian isle of Java, lies the remarkable Hindu temple complex of Prambanan. Built in the 9th century under the direction […]
Sunrise at Borobudur
Last weekend, my mom, cousin and I traveled to the giant 9th-century Javan temple known as Borobudur. This is the largest Buddhist temple in the world. In fact, the whole […]
