I felt like a visitor, even an intruder. And the eeriness of the scene underscored the vastness of our planet and the variety of life on it, and silently asked the question: To whom does our planet belong?
A Man and a Tree and the Nature of the World
Only after I saw this weary man under a tree in Hong Kong did it occur to me to ask the fundamental and important question: Why is it that in some places, as here, people can rest peacefully in public and not fear for their safety, while in other places the public space is a dangerous one?
Impressions of Singapore
Singapore is the battle between old and new, the product of three ethnic groups shepherd into the 21st century under the canopy of a common tongue and a united vision. The result is tension between past and future, but not among citizens. It is…
The Immigrant Man and the Immigrant Girl
This unlikely story is mostly about the immigrant girl, but it started with the immigrant man. And it ended with every country whose bounty and success attract people seeking a better life, because there in front of me was the whole immigration debate in a nutshell: a girl fleeing a country where she was valued less even than the clothes she wore, a new country that took her in, and a local population increasingly fed up with immigrants.
A Celebration of Turkey’s Erdogan in Sweden’s Capital (And the Debate Over Immigration)
A pro-Erdogan celebration in Stockholm, Sweden highlights a larger debate about the balance between preserving a country’s culture, on one hand, and admitting refugees and other immigrants, on the other. Or to look at it differently: “Who are ‘we’?” and “How much of ‘them’ should we tolerate?”
Bath, UK: Two Cities in One
Bath, UK is two cities in one. The first is classically attractive, the second, positively ravishing, luring visitors with pedestrian malls and fine food and diverse culture and seductive charm. You really don’t want to miss it!
Erdogan Supporters Celebrate in Stockholm, Sweden
Oh, the irony, to see Erdogan supporters in Stockholm, Sweden celebrating his (apparent) victory — after Turkey blocked Sweden’s entry into the EU. A few more photos:
The Beggar Girl
Would you help this girl? I did, and it got me in trouble with my local friend, who told me that his country would be better off if people like me stopped forcing our judgements on situations we don’t understand. I countered that children shouldn’t be beggars, and I was in a position to help. But…
Searching For Hong Kong’s Soul
尋覓香港嘅靈魂
Hong Kong’s soul rests far from the casual eye, modestly shrouded and demurely confident, or maybe just unwilling to fight for the limelight. Hidden. So well concealed, in fact, that most visitors miss it. I almost did.
The Taxi Driver (1) — And How I May Have Aided and Abetted the Enemy
My taxi driver sat ramrod straight, and exhibited a confusing mixture of subservience and independence. Halfway through the ride I figured out who he was. And it was a problem for me.
