03 May

Posted at 04:41h in Bangkok, blog, Thailand
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357bd-bangkokfullmoon1
Saturday night in Bangkok. I stop to watch the moon's reflection in the Klong Rupkrung, the little canal that separates Samsen Road from the old Phra Arthit neighborhood on the Chao Phaya riverside. At 10pm the night is hot enough to cause a few beads of sweat to trickle down the back of my knees. Still and sleepy, the neighborhood moves to a languid, sticky and slow beat. About two miles away, I know, protesting Thais--the "Red Shirts" are camped out and occupying the city's main intersection. The situation is grave,...

28 Mar

Posted at 05:34h in blog, China, Hong Kong, New York, Thailand
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I've been writing essays lately for Silverkris, the magazine of Singapore Airlines. They don't have an online site, so the only way to read my magazine articles is to take a flight on Singapore (highly recommended!). But that's not always possible, so I'm going to share them with you here, after they've flown around the world in the seat pocket for a few months. This one is my meditation on comfort food in three of my favorite cities: New York, Hong Kong and Bangkok: I thought I knew everything about som tum--the yummy shredded papaya salad that's one of the...

05 Jan

Posted at 03:49h in blog, cool hotels, Langkawi, Malaysia, Southeast Asia
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Langkawi, Malaysia     I've been allergic to cats for as long as I can remember, which is probably why I've never liked them much. But last month, during a stolen weekend on the island of Langkawi I got completely blindsided by a new, unexpected relationship.   This is "my" cottage at Langkawi's Bon Ton Resort. Actually it belongs to the little guy in the lower right hand corner. He's one of about a hundred cats on the property who've been rescued by the Bon Ton's animal loving Australian owner, Narelle McMurtrie.   In addition to her resort and restaurant, Narelle runs and funds an animal rescue...