Visions of AsiaSeeing things differently.
The journal / Visions of Asia
After the marvelous experience of glimpsing Mount Fuji through the clouds, my journey led me toward a different kind of joy, Joy in Motion —the pulsating heart of the Awa Odori festival in Tokushima. This modest city in Tokushima Prefecture has long sustained itself through agriculture, its produce traditionally flowing through local markets rather than […]
After my visits to Shinjuku and Shibuya, despite a canicular heat in Tokyo, by the time I caught the bus at Shinjuku station, for Mount Fuji, it was starting to get gloomy. And as I got on the way, torrential rain started hitting the highway, giving me an idea of the weather ahead, leading to […]
After three long years of COVID restrictions, I yearned for the vivid contrasts of Tokyo’s nights – from the blazing neons of Shibuya’s towering screens and scrambled crossings, to the cozy izakayas tucked away in Shinjuku’s Omoide Yokocho.
Writing about Kyoto is also writing about the Japanese essence, as the city is so much enshrined in traditional Japanese culture. As autumn paints the city in vibrant hues, Ginkakuji becomes a true embodiment of the Japanese essence. Fall gives to this garden which is already magnificent additional colors literally making the place an enchantment […]
It did not take long from the arrival of omicron in Hong Kong to the downfall of Hong Kong with its “zero Covid” obsession. In shocking scenes observed last week, on 15 February 2022, elderlies and mentally disabled COVID patients were left outdoors in cold weather as hospitals were full to capacity. An absurd isolation […]
It was just a matter of time, and no matter how much scapegoating there was going to be on the origin of this outbreak, the reality has always been the same: there would be one day where Omicron comes to town in Hong Kong. Despite having had reliable mRNA vaccines (Pfizer), Hong Kong has squandered […]
After almost two stiffing years in Hong Kong, for the first time, as mass competition was allowed by the Hong Kong authorities, under the form of the Standard Chartered marathon. I knew that one of my goals was indeed running such a race, but I was not sure of my performance, as the past two […]
In my previous post, I talked about my visit to Fushimi-Inari shrine at dawn, and how I thereafter headed to the historical center of Kyoto. Visiting ancient Kyoto is a bit akin to traveling back in time, as the whole area is pedestrianized. The number of persons in kimono in that area thrusts you back […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed down life for many, and obliged to a lot of lifestyle changes. In my case, it was sadly 2020 was a year where my training efforts went dramatically down compared to 2019. It was thus that the appearance of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine and the resumption of some competition in […]
When the National Security law was implemented about one year ago, in 2020, the HK government kept repeating that its scope was limited and those concerned were few. One year later, it seems the scope is ever-expanding and the tentaculous reach of this law proved itself once more when the tabloid “Apple Daily” was forced […]