Living in Japan, I often heard people ask me, “how can we Japanese learn English?” or “How come the Koreans/Chinese/Filipinos/Singaporeans speak English better than us?” It was kind of an odd question that I couldn’t really answer before, but coming back to the Philippines the answer seems so obvious: you learn English by using it. [...]
While in the Philippines, my cousins and uncles have been trying endlessly to gross out Hugh with “exotic” Filipino food. I think this is a pretty common practice around the world, where rather than be embarassed about some local delicacies, most people consider Americans (and its usually Americans who are so grossed out by foreign [...]
We officially arrived in the Philippines on the 26th, worn-out and suffering from food poisoning (well, me at least.) However, after a few days of rest we were able to attend my cousin’s wedding. Although I’m ethnically Filipino, I was born and raised in the United States and had only attended one Filipino wedding prior [...]
As soon as we crossed the Thai border it was so strange, it was…so obviously Thailand. All of a sudden, the roads were nicer, everyone owned a new car (actually, the fact we even saw cars was unusual), there were powerlines in the sky, advertisements, billboards, internet on every corner. It’s so odd that crossing [...]
Last night’s accomodation can be best described, at best as “basic” at worst as “dismal.” As we unloaded off the boat, we were bombarded with touts who wanted to bring us to their insanely overpriced guest-houses. The one Hugh and I finally settled on is probably the most basic one we have ever stayed at, [...]
Continue reading about From Pakbeng to Huay Xai (continuing along the Mekong)
Although we would have loved to stay in Laos for longer, we decided it was time for us to leave. Without a doubt we’ll return (especially to visit southern Laos), but for now the Luang Prabang tourist prices, fairly depressing food options, and desire for modern conveniences meant that Hugh and I have decided to [...]
Continue reading about From Luang Prabang to Pakbeng (floating up the Mekong)
There are Buddhist monks all over Asia, but I have found the monastic lifestyle in Laos to be quite fascinating. Like many of the surrounding countries, it is considered a duty for a young man to become a monk for a period of time in his life in order to get merit for his family. [...]
Hey foodies! This post and photos are for you! In Luang Prabang, we decided to check out the cooking class by Tamarind (a restaurant) which was highly regarded (and turned out to be good). The class started out with a market tour led by our Lao teacher, Jack. He pointed out various herbs, meats, and [...]
We went trekking yesterday through Luang Prabang province, here is a bunch of photos…and text. For the first part of our trek, we went to an elephant park that uses tourism dollars to try and save elephants from a hard life of logging (which I saw in Cambodia) or being poached. Letting humans ride on [...]
For months Hugh and I have been extremely careful about what we buy during our travels. We’d either have to carry it around with us for months, or ship it back to America/Australia (which is costly.) However, since we are winding down on our travels and since it’s just so easy and fun to shop [...]
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