Scooters, Streets, and Saigon’s Surge of Optimism
Just wrapped up an unforgettable voyage as a Conversationalist aboard Seabourn, sailing from Singapore to Saigon. Once again, I found myself immersed in transitioning cultures, meeting new friends, and witnessing the pulse of places like Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam, with its 100 million citizens — 70 million of whom are under 44 — feels […]
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Adventure
It’s Friday in Singapore and I spot a pack of secondary school students loaded down with backpacks, all wearing the same blue shorts and yellow t-shirts. I want to believe that they are heading off for an unscripted weekend adventure. My heart smiles remembering all the misguided but ultimately fabulous expeditions I’ve taken over the […]
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Out of the Sea
Mankind came from the sea. Some 400 million years ago life emerged from its liquid home and took up residency on dry land. Why this happened remains a mystery. Did competition or predators drive creatures to seek food or refuge on land? We don’t know. We do know that the transition was fraught with challenges, […]
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Build a Castle
Eleven days ago I returned from California to Singapore where the Corona Virus contagion has been kept in check. For over a week I traveled to my studio on public transportation and swam in public pools. No lock-down here. Today however, the climate changed. Upon entering my local pool I was presented a form […]
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Asian Sojourn
More than three decades ago I slipped into the fabric of Asia, concluding a cloistered existence painting the beauty of the California Dream. Retreating from the world of lite beer and dark sunglasses I set sail for Taiwan and total immersion while studying Chinese brush painting and calligraphy with local masters. With a smattering of […]
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Around the World in 80 Days
Sliding out of Singapore to the States to speak started the whole slay ride. Around California with family and friends grounded me to something called ‘Home’. Teaching art in a tiny Italian village before discovering Croatia for the first time seeped me in medieval architecture and stone. Following up with a week in France with […]
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Under the Sea
UNESCO site Hanifaru in the Maldives is a rugby pitch of water in an ancient atoll where Manta Rays congregate yearly to feed in the plankton rich waters. Like a bowl in the ocean just a few dozen meters deep, this magic spot attracts nature enthusiasts hoping to witness a once in a lifetime ballet […]
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A Zephyr of Change Flows Over Burma
Twenty years ago Angie and I landed in Rangoon for a few weeks backpacking overland through Burma. We recall a tough environment with little excess. Traffic was non-existent and roads often unpaved. Our 14-hour bus ride to Bagan turned into 17 hours with the breakdown at 3am factored in. The train from Mandalay back to […]
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Darwin to Singapore by Sea 2019
Darwin’s humidity is oppressive – like a blanket that follows and swallows you up. Local Aboriginals can stand the heat and are the majority of life one finds on the street. As a small town, Darwin has taken more hits than most. Bombings by the Japanese and the flattening from a hurricane, for a place […]
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