Leaving Luang Prabang

The Baci Ceremony

Briefly the Baci is a ceremony to celebrate a special event, whether a marriage, a homecoming, a welcome, a birth, or one of the annual festivals. A mother is given a baci after she has recovered form a birth, the sick are given bacis to facilitate a cure, officials are honored by bacis, and novice monks are wished luck with a baci before entering the temple. The Baci ceremony can take place any day of the week and all year long, preferably before noon or before sunset. The term more commonly used is su kwan, which means “calling of the soul”.

http://www.laoheritagefoundation.org/ceremonies/baci.jsp

"Extraordinary travel is magic often created in the simplest of terms"
Lisa Lindblad.

Travel Art Posters

http://www.allposters.com/-st/Travel-Art-Posters_c6384_.htm

Neilson Hays Library

The Neilson Hays Library was founded in 1869 by the Ladies' Bazaar Association, which formed the Bangkok Ladies' Library Association to serve the reading needs of the large English-speaking community in Bangkok. The building and property now occupied by the Library were part of an endowment received from Dr. Hayward Hays in 1922 in memory of his wife Jennie Neilson Hays who had served on the committee of the Library for at least 25 years. It is the oldest non-profit association in the Kingdom of Thailand.

Current Exhibits: http://neilsonhayslibrary.com/exhibits.shtml

Kathmandu Gallery

The KATHMANDU PHOTO GALLERY, in a wonderfully-restored old pre-war shophouse aptly located near the Indian (Sri Mariamma) Temple in Bangkok’s financial district. Its owner, Thai photo-artist Manit Sriwanichpoom, has modeled it along the lines of photographers’ shops of old, where one could walk in and sift through folders of signed prints for sale. Downstairs the antique green walls are literally covered with framed black and white photographs of varied subjects from Manit’s travels, making it seem like a treasure chest, while the airy upstairs gallery plays host to the current temporary exhibition. A book corner offers a few art, photography and spiritually adventurous titles, such as books by Carlos Castaneda.

http://www.kathmandu-bkk.com/

The Meditation Boat

ANN HAMILTON presents The Meditation Boat

During her first visit to the city in August 2005, she was struck by the flow of the Mekong River, which became for her “a visual embodiment and confluence of cultural currents, where a traditional past mixes with the modern present.” She also visited four monasteries in the forests surrounding the city, each of which included a long, narrow building designed specifically for walking meditation. Inspired by these structures, she decided to design a boat for spiritual meditation by the monks and novices of Luang Prabang. The architects Laurent Rampon and Yushi Kawaguchi, along with Jean-Pierre Cuomo, refined her designs, and the boat builder Sichan Phongsavath and his team at the boatyard in Luang Prabang built the vessel. The boat was blessed in a ceremony at the stairs of Vat Xieng Thong on the Mekong, on October 9, 2006, by Phra Acharn One Keo Sitthivong, five monks, and three novices as well as more than fifty participants.

"Our physical bodies are repositories for cultural knowledge and memory inherited, repeated, and passed down through generations. The role of an artist is often to address specific actions and processes through which this cultural knowledge is physically embodied. It can be recognized in the quotidian rhythms and patterns of walking, sewing, weaving, or writing—patterns that in their familiarity can become invisible or lost when not perceived. How can art help us attend to what is becoming lost or eclipsed under the pressures and force of a globalized world? How can an artwork participate in local and daily traditions and help us to see ways in which such rhythmic patterns of quietude remain relevant? These two boats address such questions. Linked physically together, they also link the present to the past, the sacred to the secular, silence to voice. Within this visual and aural relationship, they demonstrate a practice in this place for this time."

http://www.thequietintheland.org/laos/project_hamilton.html
http://www.thequietintheland.org/laos/category.php?id=ann-hamilton
http://www.annhamiltonstudio.com/
https://www.artsy.net/artist/ann-hamilton 

The meaning of the Tak Bat

The Tak Bat is a profound expression of generosity, a cardinal virtue for the Lao people, and is a significant source of religious merit for the Buddhist community. It is probably the closest religious interaction between lay people and monks. Whenever it is performed, it is done with a profound sense of beauty and affection, with piety, care, thoughtfulness, and with deep commitment. Most of the Buddhist believers of Luang Prabang practice this ritual every morning. At sunrise, they prepare the offerings by cooking the rice and kneeling on a mat, in silence, waiting for the monks to approach, their heads and feet bare in humility. They quickly and silently place a small amount of rice in the monks’ alms bowl without making eye contact. Sometimes cakes and fruits are offered. They practice this generous act with joy knowing that it will benefit them, their living or departed relatives, and all beings.

For their part, the monks meditate on impermanence and on the meaning of the offerings they receive, which symbolise their intentional poverty, humility, and dependency on the lay community for their material needs. When they return to the monastery, they share the rice, accompanied by other dishes prepared by the community. They eat this first meal of the day in silence.

http://www.thequietintheland.org/pdf/tak-bat.pdf

Buddha's Hand Citron

Called a Buddha's Hand Citron, this odd looking fruit is actually one of the oldest members of the citrus family. Although it smells strongly of lemon, it has no juicy pulp hidden beneath its rind. Instead, the Buddha's Hand is grown commercially for its powerful zest. The aromatic rind is used to flavor lemon liqueurs and specialty vodkas, and provides aroma to lemon-scented cosmetics. Chinese and Japanese households hang it in their homes as a natural air freshener, and it even has a place in some religious ceremonies.

Caroline Carter
http://www.sanfranciscofoodie.com/scraps/buddhasHand.htm

Touching the earth

Literally Bhumisparsha translates into 'touching the earth'. It is more commonly known as the 'earth witness' mudra. The right hand, placed upon the right knee in earth-pressing mudra, and complemented by the left hand-which is held flat in the lap in the dhyana mudra of meditation, symbolizes the union of method and wisdom, samasara and nirvana, and also the realizations of the conventional and ultimate truths. It is in this posture that Shakyamuni overcame the obstructions of Mara while meditating on Truth.

Photo by "miss design" - mailto:miss_design27@hotmail%20dot%20com

Does happiness have a price tag?

Can happiness be bought? To find out, author Benjamin Wallace sampled the world's most expensive products, including a bottle of 1947 Chateau Cheval Blanc, 8 ounces of Kobe beef and the fabled (notorious) Kopi Luwak coffee. His critique may surprise you.

Fueling up

episode 26. khmer os

Recoded: Early October
Locations: Phnom phen, Cambodia
Tags: travel, bloggers, cloggers, cambodia, localization programs, open source, khmer os, adventure, couchsurfing
Music: .75 Adore .25 Odium by sippy cup
About: on the opposite side of new york city, phnom phen sits as one of the most dangerous cities in the world. through years of bloodletting and on the verge of oil and natural gas mining, the government has stabilized into a proto-democracy promoting the use of applications in their own language. behind the software, behind the translation, behind the revolution sits one man. this is his story.

On the luck of seven

On the luck of seven was an open-source, around the world project by Noel Hidalgo, a new york city based activist, organizer, barcamper and coworker.

For seven months, he traversed the globe. using a new media voodo (blog, vlog, wiki, flickr, couchsurfing, twitter, myspace, dopplr, and facebook), noneck harnessed the collective knowledge of the internet, and report on seven topics of freedom. This trip was funded by 253 people and supported, house, fed, and loved by countless others.

http://luckofseven.com/

The 7 topics of Freedom:
Free culture. After a half-century of broadcast communications dictating the common perspective, people are now reconnecting—one-on-one, peer-to-peer, node-to-node—and proving that traditional copyright and patent restrictions need to be reformed to promote creativity.

Free and open-source software. Software should be a tool, like a shovel. With zero distribution cost, global, boundless open-source communities are competing in a world of co-opetition.

Couchsurfers and bloggers. People—from those who blog their souls to those who reserve their couch for strangers—are using technology to augment real-world relationships and bring modernism back to our post-modern world.

Barcamps, unconferences, meetups, and coworking. The online digi-world uses physical ad-hoc meetings to socialize, share, and advance ideas.

Agents of progressive social change. Inventors and concept peddlers—though not always leaders—change the way we think about the world through technology.

The environment. When we outsource jobs, we outsource pollution, waste, and other negative impacts of consumerism; we need to continue to use technology to educate the public on the true footprint of the products we use and lifestyles we choose.

Happenstance. Receiving a random e-mail, discovering a flickr profile, stumble-surfing across a facebook page, connecting in a café—the world grows smaller with every person we meet, and there is an art to discovering their stories.”

Hall of Opium

"Golden Triangle" the words evoke images of opium poppies, of hill tribes, of mist-shrouded hills, the mighty Mekong River, and tropical forests. But most of all the words "Golden Triangle" evoke images of mystery and danger surrounding drug production and trafficking: porous borders; civil wars; armies, police, and smugglers clashing; poor hill farmers eking out a living from a beautiful poisonous plant; raids on hidden heroin factories; donkey caravans along old jungle trade paths.

The development of the Hall of Opium is the result of the initiative of the Mae Fah Luang Foundation. The museum presents the history of opium and the impacts of illegal drugs

http://www.goldentrianglepark.org/swf/swf.htm

Journeys, like artists, are born and not made. A thousand differing circumstances contribute to them...

- Lawrence Durrell

Tibetan Flags

Lucky 5

Chinese culture developed the notion that certain numbers were more propitious than others.

The number 8 is considered extremely lucky, perhaps partly owing to its unique symmetry, and perhaps partly owing to the fact that the 8, laid on its side, resembles the Greek symbol for infinity. Additionally, in Mandarin Chinese, the sound byte for "eight" is close to that for "prosperity, wealth", while in Cantonese it is similar to the sound byte for "fortune". To give an idea of how highly the number 8 is prized, the telephone number 8888-8888 was sold for a sum corresponding to USD $270,723 in Chengdu, the capital of China's Sichuan Province.

The number 5 is associated with adventure, sensual expression, changes, and travel.

Thai word soup

Harmonique

"Meander your way down the street north of the Shangrila past the Lebua until you reach Soi 34. You won't be disappointed by Harmonique, and we recommend you hit the place for lunch so you can see impact of the sun shining into this 70+ year old extremely authentic Thai bistro with vines and flowers and trees blending in with the antique atmosphere of the courtyard garden. And the food? An extensive menu with plenty to make you sweat if you like those little red chiles. Service was a little slow, but par for the course in the Land of a Thousand Smile, and who cares anyway... you are on vacation! Enjoy the place. Highly, Highly recommended. Also, great silver jewelry shopping on the main street (forget the name)"

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g293916-d1022137-r22241978-Harmonique-Bangkok.html

BKK Siam

BKK The motorcycle dude

Jessica Agullo

Jessica Agullo began taking photographs when she was living in Egypt in 1980 studying art and art history as a means to record life around her and to connect with the lifestyle of the people that so intrigued her. In New York she has worked as a freelance photographer, shooting portraits, photojournalism, events and video documentary. She has gained recognition for her photojournalistic style.

Jessica and I photographed Sri Lanka's tea country and the Adam's Peak pilgrimage in 2003 and the photographic exhibition took place in December 2007 at the prestigious pilgrims museum of Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

http://www.jessicaagullo.com/
http://www.mdperegrinacions.com/

Chote Chitr

Josef Polleross for The New York Times

by JOSHUA KURLANTZICK for the NEW YORK TIMES
"SURROUNDED by groups of civil servants greedily slurping bowls of soup at Chote Chitr, a tiny, family-run restaurant in the older part of Bangkok, our table soon overflows like a Thai Thanksgiving. The yam makhua, a salad of grilled long eggplants topped with tiny dried shrimps, combines the tang of fresh shallots with expert charring. Prepared by the hand of a skilled griller, the vegetables retain a smoky crunch on the outside, but a first bite pierces the crackling char and reveals a juicy eggplant so sweet it resembles a ripe peach, full of lime juice and fish sauce that has soaked into the flesh.

Next comes Chote Chitr’s gaeng som, a soup flavored with tamarind and palm sugar, packed with chunks of coarsely chopped cauliflower and large, meaty shrimp, their fat melting into the hot broth. Native to southern Thailand, where cooks use the abundant local seafood, gaeng som has a dense mouth feel, because the chef has added finely ground fish flesh into the stock, thickening it like roux."

http://events.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/travel/06bangkok.html

The Birth of Travel

Two men were sitting at the bar of The Oriental. “One more round”. The two men observed a couple entering the dining room. They took a table near the arches that led to The Verandah. “Who’s that?” asked Bill. “Travellers’ said Leonowens. “There are more and more of them coming nowadays. People travel.” Bill shook his head.

Franklin Bill Hurst and Louise Thomas Leonowens, 1893, The Oriental, Bangkok.

Europe was almost 40 days away by steamer. Saigon, Hanoi, Hong Kong to the east and Singapore to the south were the ports of call. Not many travellers came to Bangkok. It was a sleepy, little city.

Shanghai Baby

Tintagel: Tristan Laurens Bernard

From the author: "The fashion is from Pakistan, as the model. The shots were just a natural outcome of the combination, with some flowing/frozen movement thrown-in to spice-up the photography a bit"

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=647632891&ref=nf

My mother's village...

Salika Nammavong (USA)
"I visited Champasak in 1996 with my family who are originally from there, from a little village called Ban Dou. It was the first time for me and over twenty years for my Mother and Aunt. After arriving in Vientiene, which we stayed with my Uncle's relatives for a few days, we booked a flight down to Pakse which lasted about 45 minutes and then crossed the Mekong River by ferry to Champasak. I have heard they have since built a bridge that connects the two sides and you can now drive across. From there we drove to my mother's village which is about twenty to thirty minutes and is located on the main road, which its name has escaped me. Unfortunately we did not see Vat Phou or toured the main city of Champasak, but stayed in the countryside. It's so beautiful there, the sky is so blue and the clouds are so white and puffy and at night the stars are endless, because there are no bright city lights to shadow them. We stayed in Ban Dou for only two weeks, and for me it felt like it was only a few days. There is so much to take in, by just walking along the main road down to my grandfather's rice patty to walking with a bunch of my cousins down to the little stream and taking a swim. I savored every moment and it would take a book to tell you all the things we saw and did and felt in only two weeks. It wasn't seeing the main attractions for me really because we didn't, like the waterfalls and Vat Phou, it was being close to family. I plan to visit there again in the near future and this time I plan on visiting Vat Phou and all its glory"

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/champasak.html

Vat Phu, Laos

Said the French archaeologist Louis Finot “I do not know that the Cambodian architects have ever shown more taste in the choice of a site, more art in the arrangement, more cleverness in combining the accidents of the terrain and the disposition of its edifices, in the manner of producing a seizing impression of nobleness and majesty.”

Wat Phou (Vat Phu) is a ruined Khmer temple complex in southern Laos. It is located at the base of mount Phu Kao, some 6 km from the Mekong river in Champassak province. There was a temple on the site as early as the 5th century, but the surviving structures date from the 11th to 13th centuries. The temple has a unique structure, in which the elements lead to a shrine where a linga was bathed in water from a mountain spring. The site later became a centre of Theravada Buddhist worship, which it remains today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Phou

Jon Swain: River of Time

Jon Swain, award-winning Sunday Times of London reporter, looks back at the most memorable moments of his life: his assignments in Phnom Penh and Saigon during the last five years of the American war in Indochina

A beautifully written book.

http://www.amazon.com/River-Time-Vietnam-Jon-Swain/dp/0312169892

The Mekong: Chiang Khong to Luang Prabang

Khong Island: Auberge Sala Done Khong

Room Number 10. A room with a pretty terrace overlooking the Mekong on Khong Island in southern Laos. Auberge Sala Done Khong is an old french style colonial home.

A tribute to Dith Pran

Jon and Sydney were about to be shot by the Khmer Rouge when Dith Pran intervened. A tribute to the courage of their friend, who died this year in April. The end of The Killing Fields...

My Un-Battered Suitcase

Champassak, Southern Laos

Picture taken just before dusk on the 10th of November, 2008

Rain Dogs Bar & Art Gallery, Bangkok

Tucked away down a dead-end street, you'd never find Rain Dogs unless you knew about it. Run by and for local and expat artists, photographers and journalists, it feels refreshingly grungy in increasingly slick Bangkok.

Elementary by Karl Steinberg

An Interview with Karl Steinberg by Rathindra Kuruwita.

"I met Karl Steinberg by accident; there is no other word to describe it. Rukshan and I were wandering aim lessly through the streets of Galle on a windy evening. Almost all the galleries of Galle Art Trail 2008 were closed for the day, when we came across a semi closed art gallery and decided to enter it. The exhibition was called ‘Elementary’ and as we stared at the photographs of the city of Galle during various stages of the day, Rukshan tells me all about the lenses and filters which were used to colour the view, to bring some things close and to distance others. But at the end he mutters with tinge of professional envy and admiration, ‘maru pinthura ban (these are good photos.)’ It was at that point we decided to meet Karl Steinberg...."

http://www.nation.lk/2008/11/09/eyefea5.htm

“A journey is beautiful game, a treasure hunt. The objective of the game is to find and open doors, secret passages to understanding, realization and fulfilment. These ‘doors’ are people you meet along the way. What lies beyond are their stories, insights, perceptions...”

"Adventure is a path. Real adventure - self-determined, self-motivated, often risky - forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind - and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.”

Mark Jenkins

“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.”

Jack Kerouac

Ulpotha Rice...

"Ulpotha Heritage Rice comprises a variety of pure strains of very rare indigenous rice, produced by unique communities of villagers in the jungle heartland of Sri Lanka. Traditional methods of farming, where respect is paid to local deities, and lunar cycles are used to determine auspicious times for planting and harvesting, are embraced in Ulpotha. Naturally no artificial fertilisers and pesticides are employed on the land. Instead age-old bio-dynamic formulas, traditional rituals, and bio-diversity are used to ensure a healthy harvest. In order to preserve the natural environment, water buffalo plough the fields and thresh the paddy in place of tractors. And, in keeping with old village practises, most of these farming activities are times for communal song, dance and celebration. Ulpotha Heritage Rice supports and celebrates not just a method of farming but a way of life."

Ulpotha has been a pilgrimage site for thousands of years and remains an oasis of tranquility in the heart of Sri Lanka.

http://www.ulpotha.com/

Rail Routes In South East Asia

Ganesh by Mahen Chanmugan

"Mahen's art attempts to present the complex symbolism and iconography surrounding Lord Ganesh in a colourful, contemprary form. His paintings reach back to the past, while looking forward, balancing the challenges between the spirit of modernism and the need to capture the essence of a traditional art form, undiluted."

Mahen lives with his wife Rachel in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Lao Coco

Lao Coco is an association of Lao artists and artisans founded by Mimi Shada, a self-taught French artist who arrived in Laos in 1993. Mimi was impressed by the simple beauty of everyday Lao utensils, such as the coconut ladle, and started experimenting with local materials. His creations became popular and he went into production, beginning with a small workshop in a coconut grove.

http://www.laococo.com/

Makphet in Vientianne

The street children phenomenon increases rapidly worldwide. In 2001, the United Nations estimated that the street children population (3 to 18 years of age) worldwide was 150 million, with the number rising daily. Approximately 40% of these children are homeless and the other 60% work the streets to support their families. Some sources estimate that this number will increase to 800 million by the year 2020.

Since 1994, Friends-International has been running projects worldwide for and with street children. Check out their restaurant in Vientian: MakPhet is a charity-run restaurant aiming to train the area’s street children in the hospitality industry. Professional chefs from around the world have volunteered their time in developing the menus and training the staff.

Behind Wat Ong Teu, parallel to Sethathirat Road, Vientiane, Lao PDR

In praise of slowness...

Journalist Carl Honore believes the Western world's emphasis on speed erodes health, productivity and quality of life. But there's a backlash brewing, as everyday people start putting the brakes on their all-too-modern lives.

The Quiet in the Land

Photography: Hans Georg Berger

The Quiet in the Land is a series of community-based art and education projects initiated by the contemporary art curator and historian France Morin in 1995, in a search for a way of working that would reaffirm the potential of contemporary artists as catalysts of positive change. This new way would possibly open up a new language for speaking about the relationship between art and life, in which the standard definitions of such terms as artist, community, and work of art would perhaps no longer be adequate.

http://www.thequietintheland.org/

The Kaffirs in Sri Lanka: lost tribes of Africa

"Ingenious as they are, the men are far from being industrious. A great portion of their time is spent in visiting and gossip, of which they are exceedingly fond. They are perfect masters of that kind of argument which consists in parrying a question by means of putting another. They are not strict observers of truth, and, though not pilferers, they are addicted to cattle lifting. According to their ideas, stealing cattle is not a crime; it is a civil offence, and a thief when detected is compelled to make ample restitution; but no disgrace attaches to it, and they have no religious scruples concerning it."
Unknown Author - http://www.sacred-texts.com/afr/xft/xft03.htm

Portuguese seafarers carried the first kaffirs to what was then Ceylon in the 1500s, most likely from Mozambique. Later, British colonists brought others to fight against Ceylonese armies in "kaffir regiments."

Whatever their African origins, the Kaffirs were exposed to and have assumed Portuguese culture. Not surprisingly, there was intermarriage between the Portuguese Burghers and Kaffirs who belonged to the same culture set ; they spoke Sri Lanka Portuguese Creole and were Roman Catholics. In addition to physical features -- some Sri Lankan kaffirs wear braids or Afro hairstyles and have retained remnants of their African heritage in dance, music & speech.

In Sri Lanka, the several hundred kaffirs live among the palm trees around Puttalam on the northwest coast and near the eastern city of Batticaloa. These Kaffirs perform African songs in a creolized Portuguese.

Sunset on the Mekong

4000 Islands in Southern Laos

This region is called "Si Phan Don", which in Lao means "4000 islands".

Early painters in Ceylon - Online Exhibition

Dr. R K de Silva says "Although artists both old and young of the present day have been given adequate exhibition and prominence for many years, it is a matter for regret that the pictorial impression of our island left behind by earlier generations have been ignored almost completely"

In this on-line exhibition, Dr de Silva endeavours to give the viewer a glimpse into the past, covering some of the artists and their work over the period of European colonisation.

http://artsrilanka.org/maps/prints/04.html

“People always judge a hotel by its restaurants,”
Kurt Wachtveitl, 70, 40-years at The Oriental, Bangkok.

True or false?

The secret of success!

The world-renowned Oriental Bangkok is the oldest hotel in Bangkok. During the reign of King Rama IV, when Thailand opened up to trade as a result of the Bowring Treaty, two Danish sea captains saw the need for a hotel by the Chao Phraya to cater for the seafarers and traders who sailed upriver.

Kurt Wachtveitl, the world-renowned general manager of The Oriental:
"Mr. Wachtveitl... exactly how do you achieve supreme quality here at The Oriental - countless times the number one hotel in the world?"
"It's very simple... we tell our staff EXACTLY what to do!"

No price is too high for this sort of wisdom!

Second Wind: Alien Accent

Alien Accent performed for Paul Simon and 20 other guests, including me, in December 2006 in Tientsin Bungalow at Tea Trails, in the heart of Sri Lanka. Here is the complete story...
http://sundaytimes.lk/070114/Plus/000_pls.html

Galle Art Trail

From Saturday 25th October to Sunday 2nd November, the World Heritage site of Galle Fort will be exhibiting the works of over 50 Artists from Sri Lanka and abroad. Over 30 temporary Galleries will be set up in private houses, verandahs, wharehouses and hotels. A painting competition for schoolchildren will be held on Saturday 25th October and their work will be displayed for the rest of the trail. A craft market will be held over the weekends.

http://www.gallearttrail.com/

Indiana in Kandy

The movie was banned in India at the time after the film was accused of having a "racist portrayal of Indians and overt imperialistic tendencies".

The actor you see on screen, playing the role of chieftan, if I am not mistaken, is Dharmadasa Kuruppu.

Around the Fort in 80 Lives

Juliet Combe writes: "Around the Fort in 80 Lives" is built on an entirely new concept in travel writing. Merchant cities worldwide are situated at the cross-currents of history and culture, and are subject to constant renewal. Galle Fort is no exception; the loss of some old families to Colombo and overseas means it has never been more important to document their fascinating history for future generations. This book is a work of passion, and involved going from building to building interviewing people about their family history and current circumstances. Without this documentation, we feel that the buildings would lack real meaning. As storytellers, we view our task as being as fundamental to the preservation of the Fort, as the architectural restoration that is being carried out by UNESCO and Galle Heritage."

Juliet Coombe has deconstructed Galle Fort in the most charming manner. "Here you will find the old man who annoyed his wife by keeping goats in the kitchen and raising the kids in the sink (the goat's, that is, not the old man's). Noor, the diver who harnesses giant octopus, though alas we only have Noor's word for it. The betel seller with a face that has more tributaries etched on it than the Amazon. And the snake charmer who says: "If you see a snake, don't get hysterical. Just give me acall and I'll come and relocate it."

The Gallery Cafe, Colombo

The Gallery Café is situated in the center of the city of Colombo yet it remains a beautiful quiet haven. One enters the building down a paved driveway with temple trees and large urns along each side. A doorman dressed in a black and white striped batik Paradise Road sarong greets you as you wonder past showcases containing art works of the current exhibition. A view across a long pond filled with striking purple nil manel , Sri Lanka's national flower, continues through the latticed doors towards a giant cement urn, which sits at the boundary wall of the cafe.

The Art Gallery is situated at the entrance to the Café.

http://www.paradiseroadsl.com/cafe/Introduction.html

Rice and Curry

Galle Road, Sri Lanka

"A journey of a thousand miles starts from beneath one’s feet.”
Lao Tzu

The true meaning of "Inshallah"

You must have heard it once in your life... "Inshallah" literally means 'If Allah wills it', or generalized to 'God-willing'.

However, beware, in many instances it is thrown in for good measure when there is not a hope in hell of something actually happening. "We will sign the contract tomorrow, Inshallah" or "Inshallah, you will get a pay rise", implying that if Allah does not want it - you don't get it. It can even cover uncertainty - "Inshallah, the engineer will come tomorrow between 4 and 6". That means you do not know if he will come before 4, after 6, at the allocated time or even at all! And if there is a pause between the end of the sentence and "Inshallah", it means either that the person is not so sure any more or really can't be bothered. Bukhra means tomorrow - combine it with Inshallah, and you have "Inshallah, Bukhra" the severe form of Spanish termed 'manana effect'. It ain't gonna happen. Also beware of "Maafi Mushkil," literally "No problem". The problem is that it is a problem.

Happy travels... Inshallah

Art Map of Bangkok

Seriously lost in translation

There was a remarkable drug case in Bangkok in the late 70s. An American fellow, I believe in his 40s, was caught leaving Don Muang Airport with something like 700-1,000 grams of heroin concealed in his luggage.

When the case came to trial, the defendant, who had a Thai lawyer, also had the services of a U.S. Attorney that the family had sent over to Bangkok. Though not licensed to represent a defendant in Thailand, the tribunal allowed the lawyer to address the court prior to sentencing.
In his address to the 3-judge panel, the American lawyer raised the defense of “diminished capacity”, which is a legal term in U.S. law. When asked to explain Diminished Capacity, the lawyer stated that, although the defendant had, indeed, attempted to smuggle heroin out of Thailand, he was not really capable of knowlingly committing the crime because he was depressed, having personal problems, etc, etc.

When the judge asked the interpreter to translate into Thai, the interpretation was basically: “He did it, but he didn’t do it”.

The chief judge looked at the interpretor, looked at the lawyer, scratched his head, then stated, "We would like to thank the distinguished American lawyer for coming to Thailand and explaining this important legal principle to us.” We are indeed grateful.”
The judge then turned to the defendant,“You - 75 years”.

At this, the Thai defense attorney and the prosecutor spoke up and informed the judges that the defendant had provided cooperation to Thai and U.S. authorities that had resulted in arrests and prosecutions in the U.S.

At this, the judge said, “Oh, why didn’t you say so before? … 50 years.

Libby Southwell

Lib... you are going on a Thelma-and-Louise-style road trip with three celebrities. Who would they be and why? Billy Connolly - for a guaranteed laugh. The Queen of Soul "Aretha Franklin"- so she can sing the entire car trip. Dalai Lama - to talk about life...

"Libby Southwell's life is like a luxurious palace surrounded by miles of bad, bumpy roads. Indeed, the international travels and adventures she pursued upon leaving home were neither calm nor boring. She's supervised a casual game of elephant polo in Nepal, worked as a top chef in Sri Lanka, slept in a yak-skin sleeping bag in Outer Mongolia and lived through the Asian Tsunami. In her journey, Libby's experienced both great joy and the most awful tragedies."

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200604/r83302_242811.asx

Lunuganga by Guy Hervais

http://www.guyhervais.com/

The Stylers, Singapore, STRLP 6003

In the Sixties, Mainland China was busy with the Cultural Revolution, which branded Rock & Roll as a sign of Western decadence. Nevertheless, the "Beat Wave" hit big in two Chinese territories that remained open to British influence, Hong Kong and Singapore.

An introduction to the music scene which flourishedin Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore in 1964-1969.

http://www.tofu-magazine.net/newVersion/pages/gogo.html#reynettes

Joe Cummings's travel soundracks...

Some people need a soundtrack for their trips, music to listen to while on the road. "Once in 1989 I was busing across the mountainous, surprisingly empty expanses of southwestern China, when a fellow passenger passed me a tape of Thelonious Monster. I think I had only three tapes with me on that particular 36-hour ride, and TM sure sounded good. I've been making and trading tapes on the road a lot since then. Some music sounds great in one country, but comes across kind of flat or pretentious in another. Why is this? Don't ask me, but if you want some recommendations, here's some music you might enjoy"

http://www.joecummings.com/sound/

Why does Leonardo DiCaprio's character in the 20th Century Fox movie, The Beach, say, "If I ever meet [Joe Cummings] I'm going to punch his lights out"?

Amongst many other things, Joe is behind the following Lonely Planet Publications: Bangkok City Guide; China; Indonesia; Laos; Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei; Myanmar (Burma); Southeast Asia on a Shoestring; Thailand; Sri Lanka; Thailand's Islands & Beaches.

Shorpy, the 100 year old photo blog

Shorpy is a blog about old photos and what life a hundred years ago was like: How people looked and what they did for a living, back when not having a job usually meant not eating...

http://www.shorpy.com/