Inflatable Extravaganza
The world is filled with strange and wondrous things, and inflatable objects have to be high on the manmade list. That’s Castle of Vooruit, a sculptural installation suspended over the […]
Category Archives: Asia
A Working Waterfront
One of my more interesting summer outings was a Whaling City Expeditions harbor tour in New Bedford, Massachusetts. This was a little bit of history, a little bit of sociology, and […]
Shoes, Glorious Shoes
Who knew that there were museums dedicated entirely to shoes? It turns out that there are at least six or seven such places (one in the Netherlands, the International Klompenmuseum, […]
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 […]
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 […]
The Arches and Foxes of Fushimi-Inari Taisha
One of the most remarkable shrine complexes in Japan is Fushimi-Inari Taisha. The shrine takes the middle part of its name from Inari, the god of grains. Founded in the […]
