Every city has its own music. Havana’s is best characterised by the cacophony of beeps and honks (emitted from decades-old Fords, Buicks, and Moskvitchs/Москвич alike) that – strangely enough – melds into a fascinating symphony when paired with the salsa/samba/rumba music reverberating on every street and plaza corner. Havana’s music reflects its vibrancy: its vibrancyContinue reading “The Unexpected Cuba”
Tag Archives: Travel
On Movement and Trains (and College)
I’m not quite sure what time it was when the train started to move (ten, fifteen, maybe 20 minutes after it was due to leave the station? Czech trains sadly lack the timeliness and efficiency of its German and Austrian neighbours), but its departure was signalled by a familiar musical refrain – a buildup ofContinue reading “On Movement and Trains (and College)”
Oxford Shenanigans
“Oh, so you blog?” “Yeah, I do! Well, kind of.” That murky wave of guilt laps at my conscience and I remember that it’s literally been months since I last posted. Sitting across a new friend at a beautiful coffee shop in Oxford, I begin to recall why I started blogging in the first place.Continue reading “Oxford Shenanigans”
Italy: Vibrant Hues
The psychedelic colours that saturate this film absolutely stun me; the vibrant hues of foamy blue and blood orange coalesce into some sort of dreamy, eternal-sunset-splashed heaven. Italy is indeed a beautiful place: elderly centenarians (perhaps not quite; but the Dumbledore-esque wispy white beards seem to make them decades wiser) stroll along the cobbled streets;Continue reading “Italy: Vibrant Hues”
While the Light Lasts, by Agatha Christie
I spotted this gem amidst the rustic bookshelves of Sister Srey café, a charming little nook along the riverside of Siem Reap’s bustling Old Market area serving good ol’ Aussie nosh tosh. The amazing food aside, this petite café had a charming shelf-load of books on its second floor free for anyone to take. HavingContinue reading “While the Light Lasts, by Agatha Christie”
Siem Reap: Savong’s School
I slept and I dreamed that life is all joy. I woke and I saw that life is all service. I served and I saw that service is joy. – Kahlil Gibran The rickety drive up the bumpy, pot-holed path to Savong’s School was always one of suppressed excitement; the pit of my stomach wouldContinue reading “Siem Reap: Savong’s School”
Siem Reap: Colorful Characters
The most exhilarating part of traveling is chancing across an intriguing, colorful array of people along the way. This trip to Siem Reap not only led us on a journey of self-discovery and service, but brought us on an adventure to meet a myriad of different characters, each with their own riveting stories. Often taxi driversContinue reading “Siem Reap: Colorful Characters”
Siem Reap: Epicurean Explorations
Food is the language we all speak. Food is also the door to another culture; the physical manifestation of complex undertones of emotion, complicated webs of history, and ineffable human connections and individual refinements that all coalesce in a beautiful explosion of flavors. One mouthful is all it takes to taste the rich Cambodian history,Continue reading “Siem Reap: Epicurean Explorations”
Siem Reap: Culinary Creations
The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude. – Julia Child The kaleidoscopic array of colors arranged so stunningly in an amalgamation of lettuce leaves, carrot strips, cucumber bunches, crisp basil and petite onions sat alluringly in the center of the table. Dinner plates fromContinue reading “Siem Reap: Culinary Creations”
Sri Lanka: Rustic charm amidst quirky delight
Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world. -Gustave Flaubert I’ve always loved elephants, so I was delighted that we were going to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage this trip. Baby elephants are always objects of wonder for children and adults ‘ooh’ and ‘awwwh’ over, but a small patContinue reading “Sri Lanka: Rustic charm amidst quirky delight”
Krabi, Thailand: Foodscapade
Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart. Life is short; why not eat? Good food is a work of art in itself- and like art, food has a immense history of culture and intense flavors that shape each type of cuisine. Thailand is no exception; perhapsContinue reading “Krabi, Thailand: Foodscapade”
Barcelona in Gray Hues: Spain ’11
The shadowy tones of the film; the mysterious blacks hiding under the disguise of alluring whites; the ever-enticing rustic charm- it’s no wonder that black and white film has come back into fashion nowadays. No wonder, that film photography has made its comeback- even with the technological advance that has been so proudly heralded inContinue reading “Barcelona in Gray Hues: Spain ’11”
Splendid Illusions on the East Coast: Orlando ’12
Apologies for the delay; I had my second roll of Kodak developed just this last week. I really can’t stop marveling at the vibrant, saturated colors: they’re absolutely brilliant- the white streaks of cloud rippling across the startlingly blue sky- just perfect. Spending 5 days in theme parks was a tiring ordeal, although it wasContinue reading “Splendid Illusions on the East Coast: Orlando ’12”
Time Must Have a Stop, by Aldous Huxley
I picked up this beautifully laminated paperback at Citylights in San Francisco- a rustic and sublimely homely book shop that contains shelves upon shelves of books. If I had the choice I would’ve willingly remained there for the rest of eternity. The comfortingly earthy smell of heavenly tomes blended right in with the roughly cutContinue reading “Time Must Have a Stop, by Aldous Huxley”
Dazzling Sundance on the West Coast
I love the brilliant shine and highly saturated colors of the Kodak Ektar 100. Pretty much all the photos turned out wonderfully (in the beautiful Nevada and Florida sunshine; San Francisco’s weather did not live up to expectation). Pretty proud of this first roll of Ektar on my grandpa’s Pentax MX, considering that the cameraContinue reading “Dazzling Sundance on the West Coast”
Ruru 