Irreverent, informed and downright eclectic crime fiction and reportage from Southeast Asia and beyond
German climber Ralf Dujmovits took pictures of 100s of tourists on the slopes of Everest in May. Some died on the mountain, due to overcrowding, inexperience and crass commercialism as The Guardian reports. The entire Everest region suffers from tourist overkill. And the locals, for the most part, are frozen out of the financial equation [...]
Photographer and co-author Aroon Thaewchatturat and myself present Sacred Skin on ASEAN TV‘s show Bookcase, hosted by Manote Tripathi. The second part of the show will be broadcast next Wednesday, June 6th at 19.30, Thai time on Truevision99. And I get to wear my hat on TV!
Asean TV, TrueVision99, one of Asia’s cable channels, has invited photographer Aroon Thaewchatturat and myself to appear on Bookcase, a 30 minute English language literary program hosted by journalist Manote Tripathi. We will be talking about all things Sak Yant and our new book, Sacred Skin, the first English language title on Thailand’s sacred tattoos. [...]
It was two years ago today when Thaksin Shinawatra’s Red Shirt supporters confronted the might of the Thai military and were dispersed from downtown Bangkok, following months of occupation, confrontation and violence. Since then there’s been a change in government in Thailand and Thaksin’s sister Yingluck is now prime minister. The deputy prime minister allegedly [...]
For all those armchair travelers who are worried about missing their creature comforts in exotic places…do not despair. Trekking in the Everest region between Lukla and Everest Base Camp , one passes shops like this one almost every thirty minutes, offering the same stuff that’s on your shelf of your local 7/11 or supermarket – [...]
Many Asian governments don’t like their citizen to discuss their country’s history, culture, politics or current affairs. Severe restrictions, both in the form of laws as well as unwritten rules, suppress civil society entering into a dialogue with itself. Powerful elites introduce taboos of expression that one may cross only at one’s peril. In China, [...]
Nice spread and review of my book (with co-author Aroon Thaewchatturat) Sacred Skin on Japanese blog Miyakeaya. Sacred Skin was designed by acclaimed and award-winning London illustrator Austin @ NEW.
Virtually everyone in the Everest region now has a mobile phone. Even the lowest paid workers on the trails, the porters who carry the beer and noodles for the tourists, have phones and use them constantly. Nepal has a population of some 30 million people and about six million live outside the country and send [...]
In the mid-90s, I trekked around the Everest region of Nepal. Last month I returned, retraced my steps and found both the mountains and myself in good shape. Though a little more torn and frayed than almost 20 years ago. Everything changes quickly, even amongst the world’s highest peaks. And that, apparently, is the way [...]