Bidayuh, Iban, Melanaus, Orang Ulu, Chinese and Malay -- the ethnic composition of Kuching, the capital of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak, can feel as diverse as the exotic flora and fauna showcased on postcards sold in Bornean shops. Similar to many other cities in Malaysia, visitors are hard-pressed to discern the actual ethnicity of …
Continue reading Musing over Sarawak’s tourism appeal, Malaysian Borneo
Tucked away in the jungles of Mindoro, Philippines you'd think that I would have been too remote to be concerned with the chaotic conflagrations of the world. But this idyllic frame of nature at its richest ended up serving as a just reminder of how wild things have gotten in the country's south, where the …
I've landed. Manila, the capital of the world's second largest archipelago, the Philippines, is to be my base for the foreseeable future. After being here for only a pinch over two weeks, I have found myself shocked by how much the city's reality deviates from its perceived rough image abroad. Yes, the retinue of armed …
Lets pause for a moment. Just a moment. If nothing more than to reflect on the journey ahead and behind me, while I sit somewhere here, in between. I began 2013 by heading out to Pai, a remote northern mountain town just three hours by car outside of Chiang Mai, Thailand's second largest city. The …
During my recent jaunt to Qatar, my first time in the Middle East, I was intrigued by the amount of Asian faces I saw throughout my trip. No, not mixing about on the street scene so much, but more in the order of daily interaction with those in service positions. According the Philippine Embassy in …
Justin Calderón 