Author Archives: Ursula Bagan, in Central Myanmar, is known for its temples. Not all its temples, however, are ruined relics of the Pagan Empire (9th to 13th Century). Others – like the beautiful Shwezigon Pagoda – are still living, breathing places. Shwezigon was Pagan’s first Buddhist temple. It was started by King Anawrahta after he took the throne by force in 1044, unified the country, and […]  “Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passion of an emperor’s love wrought in living stones.” – Sir Edwin Arnold We all know the story: the Taj Mahal, considered the epitome of Mughal art and architecture, was built by emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Prince […]  (Double click for: Whiskey Cambodia, from the album of the same name by The Cambodian Space Project) A female chanteuse in long hair and short skirt is dwarfed by the stage until she opens her mouth. Her vocals wail across Asian half-notes – off the scale and back again – to a back-beat of pounding music ranging from Khmer […]  This year, the Easter long weekend marked the 25th anniversary of the annual Byron Bay Bluesfest. We were ready! Thanks to glorious, sunny, Autumn weather, we were able to leave our rain-coats and gumboots in the car – along with the folding chairs the organisers had rendered superfluous – as we made our way through the ticketing and […] It is ANZAC Day today. ANZAC Day is the official “Remembrance Day” for Australians and New Zealanders. First observed in 1916, it started as a tribute to the Australia New Zealand Army Corps (the ANZACs) on the anniversary of their landing on the beaches of Gallipoli in Turkey on April 25th, 1915 during World War I. It is said that as […] |
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