Not that diary

My first international trip in 2022 was a short visit to Singapore. Rather fortuitously, the SG government relaxed entry restrictions just as I was getting itchy feet.  Back in 2007, I had spent a long weekend in SG, enroute to Australia and NZ. On that visit, my friends I and A very kindly took me to the most popular landmarks and districts. I also wandered on my own in this easy-to-navigate city-country. More than a decade later, I decided to explore SG under the expert guidance of native Singaporeans who pointed me to lesser-known nooks and corners. On arrival I captured this aerial view below.  Nope, this is not the invasion scene from Troy. It is, in fact, the approach to Changi airport. These shipping lines move goods between some of the largest ports in the world. It is very likely that the jacket you are wearing or the phone you are using arrived via a transfer at SG. Before writing a post on the fascinating cultural mix in Singapore, I start with food, which...

A handful of cities across the world have stood the test of time. London is one of them. The swarming cities in parts of Asia and dare I say, the 'Global South', seem to morph into new beings at the blink of an eye. London, however, displays an underlying constancy even as subtle changes creep up every few months. In the autumn of 2021, some things had decidedly changed. Yet in many places it seemed as if time had stood still, at least for now. I share below a set of photos that show both sides of the city. Some venues are easily recognisable iconic locations. Other places are more personal - they represent shared memories and leave a door open for 'yet-to-be-made' memories. Let's start with new things on the block. In late 2021, a significant chunk of the global population had been vaccinated, lockdowns were a thing of the past and outdoor group exercise was in fashion. This is a scene from an outdoor fitness class on the bank of River Thames, not far from Southwar...

 2020 and 2021. Yes, it was a truly awful period. Much has been written and will continue be written about the surreal, haunting and painful time that much of humanity experienced. For that very reason, this post is about finding joys, appreciation and even a small thrill in activities we earlier took for granted. The time has come to wipe off the cyber cobwebs and bring my blog to life again. What better way to do that than take the reader on a walk through one of my favourite cities - London. Shortly after my 2nd jab, I took my first flight out and landed in London in the autumn of 2021. Quick alert - there will be a lot of post-covid 'firsts' in this post and the ones to follow. I felt an inexplicable feeling of novelty in taking a flight and then a taxi, walking in a familiar neighbourhood, watching people hurry back from from work, meeting people I hadn't seen for 18 months. More than ever before I felt fortunate to be able to do this. In that period of re-discovery, I...

Bruges is exactly what it says on the tin. A picture-perfect town in the north-west of Belgium with cobbled streets, lively squares and gently flowing canals. Displaying a rich history going back to the Vikings, it is a superb example of how cities live through growth cycles, rising and falling with time as the world around them changes. Bruges is now classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here then is a city designed for people to amble through aimlessly and soak in the sights. Whilst that was exactly my plan, my senses (read nose and eyes) had other ideas. It felt as if every street I turned into led to a chocolate shop or bakery till I found myself sniffing my way through town, admiring the charming shopfronts and stopping occasionally to indulge in some yumlicious flavours. The city of Bruges historically lay on several European trade routes. Its chocolate heritage  reflects the same diversity. Words alone cannot do justice. The first two photos below are the Flemi...

Yin and Yang. Black and white. Uplifting and depressing. Eye-popping and macabre. If this is beginning to sound like a lesson in antonyms, then I assure you its not. However, I do mean to talk about opposites.  First the ‘Yang'. Up in northern Thailand, in the town of Chiang Rai, a Buddhist temple lay in ruins. A few decades ago, visual artist Chalermchai Kositpipat decided to re-build it privately at his own cost. The result is the wondrous and whacky White Temple or Wat Rong Khun.   In the overpowering heat and humidity of August, it appears like a mirage, the sun reflecting off its white plaster exterior studded with pieces of glass.  We jostled with groups of largely Asian tourists and a number of European backpackers to get the best selfies from a distance.   I decided to gingerly test the somewhat-alien looking sculpture for its glassy muscular strength. At the entrance we got properly spooked. Placed in a small arc th...