If you visit Myanmar, don’t be surprised to find a neighborhood fair, or perhaps a full-fledged paya pwe (temple fair) being held while you are there. Mandalay, in particular, seems to always have some event going on, full moon or not. During one of my visits this trip to the little teashop on 90th Street in Mandalay, the kids announced that there was a fair being held down the street at one of the temples. This one featured a chinlon tournament (complete with announcer and band), merry-go-round rides, games, and of course lots of food.

Walking around the neighborhood I was greeted with lots of amused smiles and offers of snacks and tea.  While I lumbered down the dirt streets, I always had one child holding my left hand and one holding my right hand, and sometimes two on each hand. Definitely one of those funny, pied piper moments, but I’m used to it at this point. I even ran into someone I knew from the other side of town. He had been a counselor at the MBOA Orphanage two years ago but was now a monk. Needless to say, I didn’t recognize him at first, but he remembered me. Then again, being the only foreigner at this neighborhood fair, I wasn’t hard to miss.

I was feeling kind of hungry this morning, so I was inspired to post these food-related photos, taken during my recent trip to Myanmar. From markets to street vendors, all sorts of good food can be found in the great outdoors. One of the most interesting Burmese treats is the famous Pickled Tea Leaf Salad. It [...]

Ah yes, these people have soul. Over the past three decades I’ve been impressed by the kindness of strangers in countries throughout Southeast Asia, but the people in Myanmar take hospitality and friendliness to an even higher level. The idea of boycotting this country because of political reasons is sheer nonsense. These people want you [...]

I swear, I’m not the one that gets these crazy photo ideas. But every time I visit Shwe Yan Pyay monastery in Nyaungshwe, the novice monks in residence request that I take their photo, knowing that I will return the next trip with oodles of prints to give them.   This time around, not only [...]

One of the first things I did after I returned to Bangkok earlier this week was drop by a bookshop at the Emporium and pick up a copy of the latest issue of MOJO magazine, which I consider to be heads and tails above any other music magazine in terms of quality and depth of [...]

Waiting at a departure gate in the Mandalay International Airport last week I was struck by the colorful tableau around me: Two Burmese women seated in separate rows, multiple bags circling them, intently and rhythmically knitting scarves … an Asian man tapping away on his laptop computer … a Western man doodling with some sort of [...]

Logic would dictate that in Buddhist countries you would not see much in the way of Christmas celebrations and decorations, not to mention the ultimate horror: Christmas music. But in many Buddhist nations in Southeast Asia, blatant signs of Christmas can be found. In fact, it’s almost impossible to escape the seasonal idiocy: Christmas trees [...]

I’ve been on an emotional rollercoaster all week, worried sick about the fate of my friends in Phnom Penh, especially the four Tri brothers: Huot, Hach, Channo, and Bo. These kids are like family to me and I don’t know what I’d do if I lost them. I’ve been unable to contact them all week [...]

My mood yesterday was very distraught after hearing about the tragedy at the festival in Phnom Penh. Looking at the heartbreaking photos and videos of the victims left me sad and depressed. And until I receive word that all my friends who live in the Phnom Penh area were not at that place and are [...]

Thailand’s annual Loy Krathong celebration officially falls this year on Sunday (the date changes each year according to the lunar calendar) but around Bangkok you can hear people already celebrating in the form of exploding firecrackers. Definitely NOT one of my favorite sounds, nor do I enjoy having them thrown upon the path on which [...]