minalism travel

Tears are like rain. they loosen up our soil so we can grow in different directions.                                – Virginia Casey Monsoon season is upon us and the rain gods have ripped open the skies. I've always been a sucker for storms... especially in the tropics. The storm winds blow the rain horizontally which literally creates a multi-directional wall of rain pouring out of the sky. Almost as if a billion buckets filled with water was being simultaneously poured out by rain giants. A few things I love doing when its raining: ... Standing or dancing outside, day or night in the thick downpour of the warm humid monsoon rains. It's the only time you can get drenched to the bone and not freeze your arse off afterwards... unless, you're a drunk fool prancing around in the torrential rain on the top of the IFC towers , at the snazzy rooftop Red Bar + Restaurant  (which ...

Rough Trade Records East – Photograph by Tom McShane from East London Lines Magazine I had an early start to my day... I never really enjoy having to wake up early. I am defi nitely not a morning person. After skimming through a relatively productive morning, I was craving Korean food, so I headed for the Korea House food stall in Food Republic to get a take-away portion of the Kimchi with pork, seasonal vegetables and rice lunch set. Food in hand I worked my way back through the crowded hallways of the shopping mall, while replying to a text message at the same time, when the oddest sight stopped me in my tracks. There in front of me  a small old Chinese man   was wearing a " Rough Trade Records " t-shirt! ROUGH TRADE!!! The exact font of the record store logo . I had to back track a few steps on the escalator to get a second glimpse. I wonder if this guy knows what the logo represents? Whatever the case, a small victory for Brick Lane and for record stores was w...

My 'Small Victories' Entry That Made The Final Cut!   It was a standard Thursday night in Hong Kong, and my usual pre-cursor to the weekend's upcoming drinking and socialising. I was getting ready to go to a local exhibition around the corner from where I live. I love going to these events, meeting local artists and being able to share my interests in the creative side of life. And there on the walls of the Above Second Gallery, tonight my entry was on show, amongst 100 other entries that had made the final cut for the exhibition.  The gallery was showcasing a collection of photographs titled Small Victories , a concept created by  Jeff Hamada ,  a Japanese Canadian artist from Vancouver, BC. He came up with the brilliant concept of getting photographers of all levels from all corners of the world to send him copies of standard 4 × 6 prints of photographs capturing  "quietly beautiful, unintentionally funny, people and things all around us" . J...

Cosmopolitan London – Photograph from  Shutterstock Another beautiful day on Hong Kong island. I woke up with a really discomforting feeling so I leapt out of bed and ran straight out. The last few days have been sunny and hot, which has been really nice to run about in. Opening my email, a friend had sent me a really interesting but sad article  "Hospital Pays Compensation Over 'Racism' Death" , and then this follow up article,  "It Seemed Impossible, But At Last Martin Jacques Got Justice For The Wife He Loved" .  WOW this case really hit me hard. " Hong Kong's dirty little secret".  I immediately wrote a quick email to  Martin Jacques  to thank him for his writings, and for his lengthy fight for justice for his wife. I mainly wanted to thank him for his acknowledgment of a reality in Hong Kong and South-East Asia that many are not even willing to entertain. He is an example of a truly open expatriate, living his life abroad, and mak...

Soho Chillin'... Soho Area of Hong Kong – Photograph From Foodpanda Magazine It's been a good morning, I had a relaxed start, and headed out feeling good. After running a few errands around my neighbourhood lunch soon approached and I was starving, so I popped into Soho and ended up at a great little Mexican place called "El Taco Loco". Lunch agenda: Quesidilla Pollo Suprema with a Sol Cerveza to wash it down. Excellently priced and with friendly service, El Taco Loco is the perfect escape for homely Mexican interiors and tasty fast food. Sitting at the high bar by the window so that I could people watch while I hungrily scoffed my food I realised I had a spectator! A middle aged Chinese lady had stopped right opposite me, on the street outside the restaurant, and was taking a good, nosy look at my food. I figured she was just curious, so I tilted my food basket and showed her what was left of my meal. She smiled, nodded and continued her walk up the hilly r...

Singapore Changi Airport – Photograph from transturk.com.au So this is a nice surprise... I have been booking so many flights recently that all the different flight details seem to be merging into one. I'm on my way to Lanka and boarded my first plane not really checking or noticing any details about the flight route... I knew I had one stop over which I thought was in Bangkok. But alas here I am in Changi Airport, Singapore. Love these kind of random surprises. Time to go explore, so chat to you on the other side.  ᐂ

Sahara Restaurant on Elgin Street I t's been a while since I've written anything at all... I have had plenty of inspiration but lacking motivation. As upsetting as it is when I get into these modes, I'm trying to think of it as a break I didn't know I needed. Something like that... It feels like a heavy day trailing off from a heavy few weeks. I'm starting to feel like I'm going down a dangerous path that I know all too well, and have spent way too much time in the past avoiding to just let it slip back into my life. It's money and time consuming. And it drains every bit of life out of me, and numbs my brain. It's the dark side of my moon, and I'm not looking forward to when it hits.   After a busy day I met up with my friend Christine for a quick drink in the evening. I always enjoy her great company, so hanging out with her was exactly what I needed. So we went to one of our favourite rooftop wine bars and ordered our first glass for...