Heritage and hilarity: Funnyman’s mission to save Old Manila (CNN)

Manila (CNN) The old world ambiance of Manila's Cafe Adriatico is unmistakable. Wooden furnishings, brushstroke paintings and soft music are all a reminder of an era gone by. Located in the older neighborhood of Malate, Cafe Adriatico is a memento of what Manila once was. It's now obscured by the urban decay that epitomizes the bayside origins …

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Beware of dog food: The great dog meat debate howls on

Today marks the end of my two-year hiatus from Investvine, a business news portal covering predominantly Southeast Asia affairs. And to establish my return, I decided to cover the Yulin dog meat festival, which is now trending on social media under hashtags created by animal activists (#stopyulin, #stopyulin2015) to stop the inhumane butchering of "man's best …

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No, you can’t say that: Adjusting to taboos when traveling, and a bit of Thailand

After many years of travel, I have learned, for the most part, that the usual things you carry with you on your journey -- that laundry list of gadgets, toiletries and clothes -- is not nearly as valuable abroad as having a good sense of tact. Our first steps in a new place are often …

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Myanmar enters crucible of its democratic transition (Newsweek)

I, after much internal debate, recently decided to leave Myanmar, clocking in my stay at a year and a half. But I didn't go before getting one last story on Editor Yoshi's desk at Newsweek Japan's office in Tokyo. The team there has been greatly interested in the country's transitional politics play, given that business links between the …

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