This morning it rained and rained, and then was cool and grey. I dawdled a bit and then took the BTS down to Lumphini park, stopping along the way for the Michelin recommended fried chicken in the vicinity. Curious what an economy has erupted around the Michelin guide. I’ve been coming to Bangkok since before […]
Godly sights and one ungodly one
This morning, after tea, I went to Wat Arun. Although I went in the morning I dawdled somewhat so didn’t leave till around 11 and it was very, very hot. Wat Arun shone fiercely white in the sun, its ornament bleached to pastel, and the scores of people who’d rented traditional Thai clothing from the […]
Idle Friday
I have had a very idle Friday today. I took some time off for Eid last weekend but was never really idle. Today I woke up, washed the bedding and cleaned the bathroom, made myself breakfast (purple rice, steamed broccoli, eggs and nam pla) and tea, then faffed and faffed. Then I went for lunch […]
Unimpressed
With the great burden of my life these days being the GF’s arrant vegetarianism, I decided to do something unprecedented and signed up for a food tour. There is an entire industry of these in Hanoi, but the one I picked was one of the oldest and definitely the most expensive, with ecstatic accounts in […]
Longing for laksa
Took a car down to an old haunt, to Limapulo in Chow Kit, which was once a step away from my flat. I arrived just as it opened and placed my favourite order, a bowl of their nyonya laksa with barley water. There were were any number of other things I’d have liked to have […]
Ill-gotten gains
Met someone who works in the palm oil industry and is very dismissive about biodiversity loss – not that it’s unimportant but that it doesn’t happen. Not so sure myself. They had just returned from a reception hosted by a major European palm oil user and returned with two large gift bags full of their […]
Hornbill
It was a very busy Sunday. We were supposed to go for dosas, but I kept having meetings piling up, from an early morning one which needed over an hour of post-meeting work, onwards. I didn’t get to really leave the room except for meals. I fell asleep working, woke up long enough to turn […]
Antipodean wedding party
Last night was the wedding. I say last night, but more like all of yesterday and into the early hours. Quite the endurance test but that’s the nature of weddings. With any luch I won’t have to attend very many more of these, certainly not stay for the whole thing. The day started off unfortunately. […]
Escape to the city
This morning I took the metro into the city to meet someone for brunch. It was in Surry Hills, near the train station. Nice to get out and at least somewhat by myself, and a very great relief to have brunch, as I have eaten nothing but biryani and haleem (and yesterday’s cake) since Sunday. […]
Antipodean wedding party
Here I am, in Sydney. I arrived last night, after a flight from Singapore in which a chorus of children cried throughout all eight hours. I particularly felt for a man with a long-suffering expression who had, in the seat behind him, a screaming toddler, and in the seat in front of him, a shouting […]