What I Like About Countries

 The food, and foot massage.. in Thailand.

The Ha Long Bay, in Vietnam.. 

The discipline, in Singapore. Also the public transport.

The politeness, and the public baths- Onsens- in Japan.

The language, in Malaysia.

The National Parks, in the USA.

The pretty islands in Greece. And Moussaka, my favourite dish.

Simple, hospitable people in Cambodia.

Greenery in Sri Lanka.

The temples in Bali, Indonesia.

The openness in Holland.

Monuments in Italy. Venice too, though Bezos didn't invite me..

Of course, many things about India.. will list those out separately.

Book Review- Journeys Beyond and Within

 One of the learnings (hers) that comes through is getting over the idea of the White Man/Westerner being superior to others. In India with our fairness fetish, this is more pronounced. But that is just skin deep, is what you learn when you go inter-cultural over long periods. Like she did in Chile in a volunteering stint, teaching English to local kids (My wife taught local immigrants English in a small US town a long time ago- they were adults though).

Simple joys like drinking in public - near the Eiffel Tower, or the Seine- are captured well, along with the more elaborate journeys into the unknown, inaccessible or less travelled parts of the world. The Indian parent syndrome also gets panned, particularly the gender discrimination- the same things done by a Son are praised, and by the Daughter, criticized.

I found the insights into growing up in our (patriarchal) culture very accurate. Of course, every culture has its issues- the U.S. had loneliness, teen pregnancies and drugs as some of theirs. Maybe Trump too, now!

The style of writing is honest and not showy, and it helps to keep you going, wanting to know more. Well done, Priyanka Gupta.

Why should you read the book? Hope you got the answer to that above. I can't tell all- you have to read it to experience it fully. You can get it from Amazon.  https://www.amazon.in/Journeys-Beyond-Within-Life-Changing-Adventures/dp/B0DTT1Y2HB

What Travel Has Taught Me

 If you can afford to, travel. If you can't, still try to.. coz it's a great teacher. You learn through observation, immersion, and a lot of interactions. For instance, I was fascinated by the varied experiences in recent years at Vietnam, Ladakh, Japan, Bali, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, during international travels. Also, within India, I went to Nagaland for the first time, and had a fascinating interaction with an MLA and a Minister, and learnt a lot. Also met a businessman who drove us around, and told us about modernisation of business practices.

People in Bali including taxi drivers were very polite, punctual and well-behaved. Their architecture- temples particularly- is fascinating, and different. 

Japan is a very modern country technically, but they follow quite a few traditions too. Innovators in many ways, ahead of the West.

Vietnam- just the Ha Long Bay cruise is enough to give you goosebumps. And they have a Temple of Literature dedicated to Confucius, my hero..

Cambodia has a rich culture, partly Hindu, part Buddhist..

Sri Lanka grows a lot of tea and spices, and follows Ayurveda..

Singapore is known for good governance, and Management of govt. services. Great universities too.

Cities Of The World

Great cities around the world..

Interiors

I do up my (office, home) interiors with photographs, and sometimes, with mementos. As good as any, because they stir up memories..that sometimes stretch back to three decades, like that pic of mine on the cover of Newsweek :)

 Japan and Bali.

 Vietnamese and Sri Lankan.

 Japan, Sri Lanka, Bali.

Goa (above), and Cambodia, Greece, Bali (below)

Foodventures of Bahu Bali- Of Coconut ice creams Warungs and More

Foodventures of Bahu Bali- Of Coconut ice creams and Warungs and More

A Warung is a small café or restaurant with a limited menu, and is easier to set up than a restaurant. There are lots of them, and we went to one overlooking a rice field. They had Thai and Indian curries in a set menu. At another place, there was coconut ice cream with a twist. The coconut served as the cup- a big one, into which different ice creams were served. Have a look…while on food, Gula is the name for sugar and Merica for white pepper, Garam Kounsunsi Beriodium for iodised salt.

Batik is a print unique to Indonesia, or at least it is famous here in many forms used for wear by men and women. We also saw a very interesting performance called the Barong dance, where Good triumphs over evil, performed in a small open theatre. The artists gamely posed for pictures with the tourists at the end. 

The cup in the first pic is of the Luwak coffee, and other glasses are of exotic teas and coffees.

(Above) the mascot of this Warung..

the young ladies who were waiting on us..

The coconut ice cream with its lovely vendor..
and (below) beautiful old ladies selling fruits..

Giant-sized coconuts at a restaurant near a waterfall, and

 lunch at a restaurant at the end of a volcano (Douglas Adams, apologies).

Adventures of Bahu Bali Part 3- Tanah Lot and Ulun Danu

Adventures of Bahu Bali Part 3- Tanah Lot and Ulun Danu

The second, Ulun Danu, is a temple on a lake (Beratan lake) dedicated to the Trimurti (Bramha, Vishnu, Mahesh). The drive takes you through many villages, and a Luwak coffee centre is never too far away. The Coffee talk a little later, because the other two will take your breath away, just for their majestic locations. Sights that are hard to beat, anywhere in the world. Don’t believe me? See for yourself, and multiply the Beauty Quotient by ten times..

Wherever you go, the warm and smiling people are a constant, and some Hindu temple ceremonies are always in progress or being readied. The traditional sarong has to be worn in some temples, and we did that too, so as not to miss the tradition! The design of their temples is very different from what we see in India, and you will find an open plan with two arms rising heavenwards in most. The carving is also unique, and statues of Hindu deities abound everywhere but inside the temples. No main idol as in ours. Gods are everywhere..

Tanah Lot in the first pic, and Ulun Danu on the lake Beratan in the lower two.

Tanah Lot again, in its lovely sea-kissed location, again.

Tried competing with this laughing guy! Lol!