My final few hours in Taiwan in 2009 ended in the same way as the entire Taiwan experience had been – sleepless. I shed a tear as I said goodbye to Millwall Neil outside a Korean Restaurant in a downstairs shopping mall in central Taipei. This was ironic in itself as Neil now lives in Read more about Goodbye Formosa: Leaving Taiwan[…]
Memories are emotional. “Saudades” as the Portuguese, Brazilians and Angolans say…that lingering, sentimental emotion associated with a place, a time, a person, people, a memory, which but for the invention of a time machine, WILL NEVER BE REPLACED. That’s a globe of planet earth above, one which I found on my first day in Shinying, Read more about Leaving Shinying (Sinying/Xinying) Behind For This Lifetime…[…]
Manic Street Preachers first came into my ears about 20 years ago, in 1992 when on a chance radio listen, I was enthused by their hit single “Suicide Is Painless” (Theme From M.A.S.H.). At the time I didn’t realise it was a cover version, nor knew anything about this band. As the 90s progressed I Read more about Manic Street Preachers – International Treasures: Tokyo, Japan🗾🇯🇵18.05.2012[…]
When Chinese New Year 2012 came round, I found myself living in Hong Kong, my new home. It would almost have been too obvious to spend the new year at home in Hong Kong, and when I found out I had 8 days off work, it meant booking another trip. I toyed with the idea Read more about From Teaching in Yuen Long🇭🇰To Drinking in Manila, Philippines🇵🇭[…]
Having just stepped across the border into North Korea as casual as you like, it was time for a rare sight. Something that you won’t see often in your lifetime. The third highest national flag on a single flag pole in the world, FLYING HALF MAST. The reason? Kim Jong Il had just died. Read more about DMZ Tour Part 9: Flag at Half Mast, North Korea🇰🇵[…]
On a cold afternoon with a clear sky ahead and a beating down sun, Panny Yu and I stepped nonchalantly across the border from South Korea into North Korea. Or, as it should be officially from the Republic of Korea into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. This border is one of the most Read more about DMZ Tour Part 8: Stepping Into North Korea🇰🇵At Panmunjom[…]
After lunch somewhere in the DMZ, we changed buses, and our new bus was heading to Camp Bonifas and into the JSA – Joint Security Area. Don’t worry if all these acronyms and constant place names confuse you, they sure as hell confused the life out of me, and even after research I’m still baffled Read more about DMZ Tour Part 7: Camp Bonifas, The JSA and Crazy Golf[…]
Lunch in the DMZ was next up on the agenda. We ate at a tiny wee roadside restaurant near Imjingak, just south of the actual North Korea border. The countryside was immense and on Christmas Eve, a land covered in snow gave a dreamlike impression. Something that I longed for in childhood. The restaurant. The Read more about DMZ Tour Part 6: Lunch in the DMZ[…]