The biggest story — not to mention worry — here in Bangkok recently was the recent Valentine’s Day “bombing” by the so-called Iranian “terrorists”. To call what happened a terrorist bombing, though, may not be quite accurate; it was more like a few small explosions gone awry. Whatever the terminology, it did raise a few [...]
These are the albums (all of the compact disc variety; I’m not a download dude) that are commanding my attention lately, not to mention keeping me sane and happy during these turbulent times. As usual, it’s a mixed bag of old and new, covering various genres. Just the way I like it! Cut Copy [...]
I love hunting for old books when I’m on the road. In Yangon, the outdoor bookstalls on Pansodan Road can sometimes yield little treasures, and in Phnom Penh I always seem to find a gem or two at Bohr’s Books. While in Kuala Lumpur last week, I visited some several secondhand bookshops and also the [...]
One of the albums I listened to on my MP4 player while wandering around Kuala Lumpur last week was the soundtrack from Good Will Hunting. I never saw the film but enjoyed the music on this album very much. In addition to Danny Elfman’s film score, there are some cool tunes from the Waterboys, Al [...]
One of the most asked questions at my bookshop in Bangkok is: “Where do you get your books?” Except for a few titles from local authors that we take on consignment, along with new travel titles from Things Asian Press, all of our stock consists of secondhand books that we get locally. We don’t order [...]
I received an e-mail yesterday that brought a really big smile to my face. It was from Kazuko, a friend from Japan, who just returned from a visit to Myanmar. I met her last year at the anniversary ceremony for the primary school in Shan State’s Tat Ein village. Kazuko, nicknamed “Ma Zabei” by the [...]
A topic that’s guaranteed to stimulate heated discussion among music fans would be: Who is the greatest songwriter of the Rock and R&B era? Bob Dylan is probably the first name that would pop into many minds, or perhaps Lennon & McCartney — as a duo or individually — would be the choice of many. You [...]
Amidst the shock over Whitney Houston’s premature passing last week, comes news of another tragic death, that of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anthony Shadid. Like Houston, Shadid also left this world much too soon; he was only 43 years old. Although he risked his life many times covering stories during war and conflict, Shadid’s death appears [...]
I’ll post more about my trip to Kuala Lumpur next week, but I thought I’d update you on a few things right now while I’m thinking about … and have nothing else to do on this last night in town. I have another early morning flight back to Bangkok, so I’ll attempt to get to [...]
I’m back in Kuala Lumpur this week; just a 4-day trip to do some book buying for my shop (and, I admit, a few things for myself too), some CD hunting, and lots of eating. I always enjoy the trips here, and this time I’ve had some very interesting conversations with a variety of friendly [...]
