Return to the beating heart of Tokyo, three years after
Over the past five years, I managed to see a number of celebrations of Chinese new year in Bangkok. While similar to some degree to the traditional Chinese festival, they differ too. Indeed, the Thai version has a more marked Buddhist flavor to it. Of … Continue readingChinese New Year in Bangkok
When in Seoul, an obligatory part of your visit as a first-timer, should be the traditional village of Bukchon Hanok and Gyeongbok, the old Korean Royal Palace. With the majestic background of the Bukhansan mountain, this palace is in a magnificent position. The Blue House, … Continue readingSeoul: a walk through Bukchon Hanok and Gyeongbok
After coming back from the Art 2 pier, I visited the local bookstore, also called “Eslite”. Located on the 17th floor of the mall FE21, this bookstore impressed me by its width. It also impressed me as being a lovely concept of a bookstore as … Continue readingA bookstore as a place to live in Kaohsiung
Breakfast : finding a place After arriving the day before, I decided to do some hiking for my first day in Kaohsiung. The goal was to visit the Shoushan national park. Despite my desire of getting out early and filling my day with activities, I … Continue readingFirst day in Kaohsiung: dome of light and getting acquainted
This week-end, Loy Krathong took place in Thailand amidst a slew of restrictions by the Thai Junta. In recent years, Loy Krathong evolved from a spiritual festival to a Thai Valentine day. Origins of Loy Krathong As many things in Thai history, the origins of … Continue readingLoy Krathong: from spiritual festival to a Thai Valentine
The famous Sai Yeung Choi Street where performers show off karaoke performance and which is also known as Mongkok’s “karaoke street” came through as exploding the decibels. To counteract the noise level from the performers trying to outdo each other with louder volume, a shop … Continue readingMongkok’s “karaoke street” explodes the decibels
People start a business, then try to make it instagram-worthy. Nahim cafe started the other way around. It was originally an instagram handicraft business, before becoming the Nahim café: an instagram cafe in Bangkok. The decoration and the handicraft exposed in the café alone, do … Continue readingThe Nahim Café: an instagram cafe in Bangkok
As yesterday was a full moon day, it was also the occasion of heading to the New Territories to see the mid-autumn festival activities. In this case, I headed to see the mid-autumn festival in Shatin Park. Shatin being a relatively new development on the … Continue readingMid-Autumn Festival in Shatin Park
In a previous post, I talked about Wat Sanam Chai, in the province of Suphanburi. When you are there or in Ayutthaya, it does not take much time, to go to Ekkarat drum manufacturing village. This village is unique in that there are a number … Continue readingEkkarat drum manufacturing village in Thailand: a unique experience
Wat Sanam Chai, a temple in ruins in the city of Suphanburi, is an interesting visit, far from the throngs of tourists in the neighboring Ayutthaya. Suphanburi is a city of historical significance as it is located on the direct pathway for invading armies from … Continue readingWat Sanam Chai – An unknown ruin of Thai history