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/

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."

Mark Twain
The Innocents Abroad, or, The New Pilgrims Progress, "Conclusion," 1869.

Prince Nithakhong Somsanith

Prince Nithakhong Somsanith is not your typical prince. He is one of the last gold thread embroiderers in the ancient tradition of the court of Luang Prabang, former kingdom of Laos.

This art and its techniques used to be passed on from one generation to the next, from mother to daughter of noble birth. Prince Somsanith started his apprenticeship at an early age from his grandmother, with whom he spent time during hot summer days. It was there that he was introduced to and helped with intricate and tedious embroidery tasks.

http://www.princesomsanith.com/

The Chao Phraya by Shinji Saito

"Slithering South" by Steve Van Beek, a book about his journey down the Ping River, then Chao Phraya River, all the way to the Gulf of Thailand on a paddle boat. It took him 58 days to complete this journey, each night seeking accommodation at whichever village his boat rested at the day's end. The journey took place in 1988.

Remote sensing expert, Shinji Saito, livened up a satellite photo of the Chao Phya River with passages from Slithering South.

http://www.geocities.com/satelthai1/projects/slitheringsouth/index.html

Up the Mekong to Tibet

This exciting journey took John up the world’s tenth longest river from the South China Sea to Tibet and beyond. The Mekong has long been associated with mystery and opium-smuggling, but he hadn’t expected the excitement and dangers that he faced in its upper reaches. Starting among the rice paddies of Vietnam, he made his way via Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Burma and through the gorges of China’s Yunnan province, meeting river-people of seven nationalities along the way. In a climax to the trip, he and two Tibetans stepped onto the glacier at the foot of Mount Guosongmucha, north of Tibet, where the Mekong rises at over 17,000 feet. He was the first European to reach and map its source.

Tellers of travellers’ tales: John Pilkington

John has been called “one of Britain’s greatest tellers of travellers’ tales”. In 1983, after journeys in Africa and Latin America, he completed a 500-mile solo crossing of the western Nepal Himalaya, and told the story in his first book, Into Thin Air. His interest in Asia grew further with the opening in 1986 of the border between Pakistan and China, making it possible – for the first time in forty years – to retrace virtually the whole of the Silk Road. John was one of the first modern travellers to do so, and he wrote about the journey in An Adventure on the Old Silk Road. This was followed in 1991 by An Englishman in Patagonia, recounting eight months spent exploring the southernmost tip of South America.

In 2000 he became one of only five people in modern times to walk the 1,600-mile Royal Road of the Incas in the Andes of Ecuador and Peru. In 2003 he explored the Mekong River and, with two Tibetans, reached and mapped its source at over 17,000 feet. In 2006 he turned his attention to the Sahara Desert, and joined a camel caravan carrying salt for 450 miles from the mines of Taoudenni to Timbuktu.

http://www.pilk.net/