Tag: Asia
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A Good True Thai by Sunisa Manning
Before reading A Good True Thai, I had a fairly uncomplicated idea of Thailand’s modern history. Compared with many of its neighbours, I had assumed Thailand had enjoyed relative political stability. It hadn’t experienced the colonial rule of countries around it, nor the devastating conflicts of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Travelling through the country today,…
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The Latehomecomer by Kao Kalia Yang
Reading The Latehomecomer while driving through the mountains of Laos brought the Hmong experience of war, displacement and migration vividly to life. But it was Kao Kalia Yang’s tender relationship with her grandmother that touched me most.
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A Cat, a Man, and Two Women by Jun’ichirō Tanizaki
Written in the 1930s but surprisingly timeless, A Cat, a Man, and Two Women explores jealousy, heartbreak and messy relationships, all centred around one perfectly indifferent cat. And, naturally, Lily had me thinking about our own Caesar waiting at home.
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Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
I devoured Before the Coffee Gets Cold on a bullet train through Japan, captivated by its magical realism and intertwined relationships. But the drama teacher in me kept thinking one thing: this should be a play. Turns out, it was.
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First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung
Reading First They Killed My Father while travelling through Cambodia brought a history I already knew into confronting focus. Loung Ung’s childhood perspective, the landscapes around us, and our later visit to S-21 made this an especially powerful read.
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Nepal: temples, rhinos, clouds, and one very chaotic Valentine’s Day
Nepal had been sitting in my imagination for years before we ever got there. I think for a lot of New Zealanders, there is something about Nepal that feels strangely close, even before you arrive. Maybe it is Everest. Maybe it is Edmund Hillary. Maybe it is just that the mountains loom so large in…
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Three days in Singapore on a mid-range budget
Singapore was a short stop for us. Three days. Enough time to get a feel for it, not enough to do everything. It has a reputation for being expensive, and it can be. But we found that if you are selective about what you pay for, it works perfectly well as a mid-range destination. This…