Southeast Asia
Cities
Malaysia travel
Southeast Asia travel
Travel
Exploring Malaysia’s underrated city Ipoh
The word Ipoh might conjure puzzled looks or recognition of a certain coffee brand. But Ipoh is also one of Malaysia’s largest cities, the former center of the nation’s tin mining industry, and a gateway to the Cameron Highlands. It is also a rising travel destination in its own right, and rightfully so. Lying between […]
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Cambodia travel
Cities
Southeast Asia travel
Travel
Exploring Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital city
Situated on the banks of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers, Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia and a less-bustling counterpart to Hanoi or Bangkok. As a travel destination, it’s not as heavily visited as the country’s main tourism draw, the mighty ruins of Angkor. It is an underrated city with some charms of […]
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Book reviews
Books
Book review- The Harmony Silk Factory
The Harmony Silk Factory is the story of a man told through the different perspectives of three characters who were close to him. Johnny Lim is a wealthy Malaysian-Chinese merchant with a checkered and mysterious past who was the father of the first narrator, the husband of the second, and the best friend of the […]
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Cities
Malaysia travel
Southeast Asia travel
Travel
Visiting Malacca
The first place I ever visited in Malaysia was Malacca, the famous port city for which the adjacent strait is named after. Malacca has a very mixed background. It used to be a powerful Malay sultanate, but was conquered by the Portuguese in 1511, who in turn were defeated by the Dutch in 1641. In […]
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Book reviews
Books
Book review- Asia’s Cauldron
The South China Sea has been the biggest flash point in Asia for the past few years. Surrounded by multiple nations, but heavily contested by one that is furthest away from it, the sea is a vital conduit for regional trade with over $5 trillion worth of shipping passing through it each year. It is […]
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Museums
Singapore travel
Southeast Asia travel
Travel
Visiting Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum
Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum brings together exhibits from across Asia including China, India, and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Burma, Indonesia etc). It also features a few contemporary art works from local and regional artists. The Tang Shipwreck exhibition showcases Chinese objects salvaged from the wreck of a 9th century ship that was sailing from China to […]
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Book reviews
Books
Book review- Finding George Orwell in Burma
It is a good thing I didn’t read this book before I went to Myanmar (Burma). If I did, I probably wouldn’t have had such a carefree mindset. Finding George Orwell in Burma is an American writer’s attempt in 2003 to trace Orwell’s life in the country which had a huge influence on him. Orwell spent five […]
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