The “art scene” is always of interest as we consider a potential home base. By this we don’t mean the magnificent remnants of an artistically vibrant past. Rather, the question is – what art forms are practiced regularly? What materials…
Ethnic minorities of Northern Laos ~ an introduction to ethnic fashion
We have long been intrigued by ethnic minorities – so much so that we created a business several years ago — “Ethnicities” — based on the import of ethnic craft, fashion and artisanal furniture from Argentina’s Mapuche Indians. . The…
Wat Po ~ a magnificent ode to Buddha. Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok’s oldest and Thailand’s largest Wat (temple complex) is Wat Po. Wat Po houses a giant reclining Buddha – 46 meter long, and 15 meter high. When you walk in and see this HUGE, gold figure which completely fills up…
The art-filled Imperial City of Hue, Viet Nam
Hue was the Imperial capital of Viet Nam for centuries. A succession of ten or so emperors constituted the Nguyen dynasty. The Imperial court had extremely formalized and hierarchical societal roles ~ from high level mandarins to the eunuchs whose…
You say potato, I say po-ta-to… We say tuk tuk, they say beca. ~ Yogyakarta, Indonesia
To each city, it’s preferred mode of transportation. In Jogja, it’s the Beca. (Pronounced Betcha) These 3 wheel variants on rickshaws (thus the name TRIshaws), are ubiquitous. And, since as mentioned before, Yogyakarta residents are a creative bunch, it makes…
Yogyakarta, Indonesia ~ city life vs village life
We finally decide to brave the big city… A bit of geography (but see below for amazing street art if you are not interested in the geography bit); …
30 year cycle ceremony at Gyanyar Temple, Bali, Indonesia
Jubilant! Amazed! Awed! Honored! These are the words that come to mind as to the opportunity we have been afforded. One of the workers at the home exchange house where we are staying, belongs to a temple in the regional capital of…
Museum of Ethnology ~ previews of future discoveries…Hanoi,Viet Nam
Our visit to the Hanoi Museum of Ethnology whets our appetite for visits to the countryside. In all, Vietnam is comprised of 54 distinct ethnic groups, each with their own language, traditions, arts, clothing etc. Here, 9 sub groups of…