Insideotherplaces

Thailand: who’s smiling now?

Only a short time ago it would have seemed inconceivable to most visitors that Thailand would return to a military dictatorship and its top tourist status in Asia come into question. But, what was once just a steady trickle of anecdotes and rumours about its dark underside has been propelled by the media spotlight on recent political upheavals into a torrent of evidence about the unpleasant reality behind the perceived happiness of Thailand. If there was some exceptional quality to…

Buddhism: a day out for all the family

The Asian traveller’s most common affliction is without doubt temple burnout, even a couple of days of shining stupas and beneficent buddhas can be enough to get you running to the nearest bar for a cooling bottle of Chang and chat about football or sex, anything that’s not too culturally enlightening. Once you’ve seen a few ruins and a couple of operating temples, admired the ornamentation and smelt the incense you pretty much have got the picture. However, every now…

Soul of the city: Talat Noi, Bangkok

When you are going in search of the soul of a city, it’s no good walking down boulevards, across grand squares or into great buildings. These echo with the voices of the rich and powerful: kings and bankers; generals and religious leaders who have forsaken their beliefs for a slice of power. You need to meander down the back streets and alley ways to meet the people whose city lineage goes back generations. It’s when the plan view of alleys seemingly…

Indonesian toilet inspirations

In the glamorous world of international toilet design the Indonesians are beginning to make a name for themselves with the kind of commitment to ethnic diversity you could only find in a nation of over 17 000 islands. A firm support for ancient traditions is complimented by visionary, yet measured steps into the modern world. The primary factor distinguishing Indonesia from the two giants of Asian toilet design, Tajikistan and China, derives more from differing cultural understandings. Simply, many more…

Dear Indonesia – we need to talk

Dear Indonesia Firstly, so as there is no misunderstanding, let me state quite clearly that I love you, sincerely and deeply. Rarely have other places in the world treated me so well but a few issues have come up in our relationship that I need to talk to you about, so I hope you will understand. Do you know what pavements are for? I think it is instructive in this instance to use the American term sidewalk, as it conveys…

The torture never stops

As if the gore splattered meat market in Tomohon wasn’t enough fun, the extra curricular entertainment of cock-fighting is also available for your edification, so I put on my sports correspondent hat to check out a match for you. It is popular throughout south-east Asia and is well over a thousand years old in Indonesia, so hardly a cultural practice to be ignored. If you only watch for a few minutes in the early stages, you could be forgiven for…

Indonesia on wheels

Quite what has inspired Indonesia’s love affair with small wheels will probably remain a mystery but it seems as though the country has embraced the modest wheeled vehicle like no other. Many countries have their iconic forms of transport: jeepneys in the Philipines; decorated trucks in Pakistan and the London Bus, just to name a few, but Indonesia has adapted bicycles and motor bikes to perform a whole range of functions. You won’t get very far, anywhere in the country before…

Kolorful Kalimantan

As its new year I am sure you all need a bit of colour to cheer you up, particularly after some of my more gruesome posts recently. If you are languishing in post-Christmas poverty, having mortgaged your soul to pay obscene heaps of food and booze to wash away the pain of regular employment, let me at least offer you a hint of sunshine. After a few weeks in Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo, buildings back home are going to seem rather…

To live and die in Toraja

Warning: animal lovers may find some of the images distressing In the lush hills of Tana Toraja in central Sulawesi the most important part of life is, without doubt, death. It is an event which calls for a great deal of time and expense and is firmly rooted in ancient traditions, despite the majority of the population being Christian. The piety of the Torajans disguises the fact that Christianity is largely a very recent arrival: attacks from Muslim lowlanders (which…

The bus stops of Toraja

Passing through the many villages scattered over the hills of Tana Toraja in the central Sulawesi highlands, you soon begin to wonder why they have so many bus shelters, sometimes several in one village. Some may be modest affairs but many are decorated with bright colours and patterns, clearly built with love and care. Even the design of traditional homes and rice stores is replicated for some. In reality the function of bus stop is just a fringe benefit, for…

Insideotherplaces

Thailand: who’s smiling now?

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Buddhism: a day out for all the family

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Soul of the city: Talat Noi, Bangkok

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Indonesian toilet inspirations

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Dear Indonesia – we need to talk

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The torture never stops

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Indonesia on wheels

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Kolorful Kalimantan

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To live and die in Toraja

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The bus stops of Toraja

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