The spirit of Nepal
Nepal is a place associated with the distant and the incredible. I’ve always wanted to return to this mysterious country if not for this pandemic which made it impossible to travel. I can still remember the thousands of visitors who savour the spirit of Nepal each year going home laden with things considered “Nepalese” – religious […]
Remnants of the past
They were expecting great wealth such as gold, silver and spices but what the Spaniards saw when they arrived in the remote province of Ilocos in the Northern part of Luzon island in the Philippines were Chinese merchants trading beads and porcelain with the locals. In the year 1572, the Spaniards under the leadership of […]
China: every mile a memory
It is during this time of the pandemic that I thought of writing about China as I remembered. So many negative stories have been in the news about China that I feel it is going out of hand. I worked for the Chinese for 21 years in my youth and I have the most memorable […]
From Russia with love
When I hear Russia, what comes to mind is that of apprehension maybe because of its history. But I am not covering its history but what it is today. I am curious about this country after friends visited and how much they had enjoyed their Russian escapade. It was seven degrees when we arrived in […]
Kyoto’s old world district
The God of rain was obviously cooperative as I walk to explore the nostalgic path this traditional village evoked. Gion is Kyoto’s famous old world and entertainment district. It is filled with traditional wooden houses called machiya. While these types of homes can be seen all over Japan, it’s mostly typical in the historical district […]
Christmas markets in Germany
I was born and raised in a predominantly Roman Catholic country. Naturally part of our annual celebration is Christmas. In fact, we are so obsessed with this holy day that as soon as the “ber” month starts, you could already hear Christmas carols in the air waves. Commercial establishments start preparing their individual décor and […]
Enchanting one on one with a geisha apprentice
I’ve always had this fascination for geishas. Their life is a mystery to me. The overall personality, their history and story seem to be very interesting and exciting. They are elusive and perplexing but how and where to find them isn’t easy because I was told that one has to be invited to a teahouse […]
Malta: Crossroad to history
Malta is often described as a one big open air museum. This is not only a museum with trendy cafes and shops but also an impressive entrance. With some of the nicest windows and doors around. With its capital city of Valetta, with calm and peaceful surroundings. Then you have Mdina, dating back four thousand […]
Palermo, Sicily: A long walk in the clouds
by Arlene Rafiq I have been to most parts of Italy but that was thirty years ago. I haven’t been to Sicily because when I hear the name, I only think of the Godfather stories of crime, hate and revenge and Don Vito Corleone’s famous quote “Revenge is a dish best served cold” so it […]
Batik: Truly Indonesia
Thailand and China has elegant silk, India has cotton and the Philippines have pineapple fibre that is unique in the world but Indonesia has beautiful v to boast about. Visiting Indonesia would never be completed without exploring the place where the most important and highly developed art… Batik. Batik came from the word “ambatik” or […]