Tag Archives: Thailand It was like fever dream! Anyone who thinks Buddhism is all sweetness, light, and Zen, hasn’t spent sufficient time in Asia. There, you will find many paintings and sculptures telling violent stories of historic battles between good and evil, and depicting truly frightening scenes from Buddhist Hell (eg: Two Artists; Contrasting Visions). One of the […]  What a treat! The last time I was in Bangkok: a troupe of Chinese-Thai performers was preparing for a traditional Chinese Opera play. It was the middle of October, and in Yaowarat – Bangkok’s Chinatown – the annual Nine Emperor Gods Festival was in full swing. This Taoist celebration is more commonly known as the Tesagan […]  Bangkok is one of those incredible places where – no matter how much time you have spent there – there is something wild and unexpected around the corner. After years of living in this amazing city, and more years of visiting, I feel pretty comfortable in my own little corner, but I haven’t really even […]  As cosmopolitan a city as Bangkok is, there are still spaces where one feels as though one has been transported into the distant past. The old community of Bang Khun Thian – established around 1867 – is one of the 50 districts (เขต – khed) that the huge and sprawling city is divided into. Tucked […]  It was a Sunday. And the sky was full of rain. In spite of that, hill tribe children were at school, scrubbed and dressed in their traditional clothing, ready with smiles to greet our group of visitors. It always amazes me how cheerfully Thai students – especially those from farming hill tribe families in the remote northern […] |
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