The journal / Visions of Asia

Year: 2018

Little girl with candle

Easter in the Philippines

Being a Catholic country, obviously, Easter in the Philippines is something special. With great fervor and intensity, Filipinos are known to celebrate the Holy Week to a higher degree then elsewhere. Most people have heard about the crucifixions and other shows made around people who impersonate Christ on the cross. Such practices, however, are really […]

Dronie from Kowloon Peak

A night barefoot hike on Kowloon Peak

After having climbed suicide cliff barefoot and by night, I still had to more. That’s why, last Sunday, I decided to do a night barefoot hike on Kowloon Peak to catch the sunrise. Starting off at 3 AM Although I live very close to Kowloon Peak, arriving at the top on time still requires starting […]

Angel light in Tomamu

Japan: snow fun in Tomamu

One of the highlights of our trip to Japan in December 2017 has been the day where we traveled to Tomamu. Tomamu is a ski station situated inland on the island of Hokkaido, about one hour by train from Sapporo. The village has many ski resorts and winter sport stations, so it was the occasion […]

Furry creek

Recreational drones and the regulatory crackdown

A recent trip to Canada and the USA was the occasion of discovering that the explosion of the number of drones has triggered increasingly stringent regulation. After very mediatized incidents of drones being flown near to airports and other unsafe conduct from recreational drone pilots, the calls were general for more regulation. This, while drones […]

Saewol tragedy memorial

The Saewol tragedy : still a scar in the heart of parents

During my visit in Korea, in December 2017, one of the most moving moments was when I came across a protest / shrine about the victims of the Saewol tragedy. It as a moment where I truly grasped what a scar this tragedy left in the heart of the parents and of many Koreans. The […]

On the rails

Hong Kong: the “kids” get their comeuppance at local by-elections

It was a conclusion written in advance, but Joshua Wong and his friends refused to believe it until the end. The “kids” got their comeuppance at the Hong Kong local by-elections. As a reminder, these by-elections were called after the disqualification of several Wong sympathizers for improperly taking their oath at the Legislative Council (the […]

Dronie on Tung Yeung Shan

Celebrating spring with two barefoot hikes

Since I came back from Canada, I slowly resumed my barefoot running. This week, I also resumed barefoot hiking. Ok, not in very challenging conditions, but I wanted to celebrate spring with two barefoot hikes. Right now; temperatures are very moderate (a high of 19° C), so a perfect time to undertake hiking. My first […]

Auction at Jagalchi fish market

A dawn exploration of Busan: Jagalchi fish market

I was in Busan for a couple of days already, and it was my goal to try and see the fish auctions of the Jagalchi fish market. Descriptions and indications are pretty sketchy on how to get to see these auctions given the early hour at which they take place. Nevertheless, as there was no […]

Street Scene in Whistler

Roadtrip to Whistler

The day after witnessing the snowstorm and its aftermath in Vancouver, I decided to do a roadtrip to Whistler , the famous mountain ski resort, about 100 kms north. Hiring a car Obviously, the unforeseen snowstorm the day before left me seeking for winter tires, as driving on the snow was going to be taxing […]

English bay ray of sunshine

English Bay: a beach in the city

The first hotel in which I was was the Best Western Sands. As it name indicates, it is very close to English Bay, a “beach in the city” within Vancouver. A last minute choice based on its proximity to the beach, this Best Western was more akin to a motel. In the end, a wrong […]