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Hangzhou Train Station, May 19, 2013 Having experienced a horrible train ride from Guangzhou to Guangxi before, I vow to stay away from train rides in China as much as I possibly could. But when the best mode of transport from Hangzhou to Shanghai is bullet train which costs you 128 yuan first class in comparison to a hired car for 2.800 yuan, it sounds like a phobia that you just have to fix in this lifetime. OK here we go again. Phi is moving forward to Hangzhou train stati

Nanjing, May 15, 2013 “How would you describe Nanjing people?” I asked Yibin, my Nanjing’s friend. “I would say people here are more hospitable, friendly and honest” said Yibin. Though I know Nanjing used to be the capital of the Ming Dynasty, I would not take anything for granted and expect too much from modern China. Glorious history and admirable ancient arts and culture never seem to prosper in today’s material world. 2 days in Nanjing is simply not enough especially when

Nanjing’s Bullet Train Station, May 15, 2013 Life always has its own way of sorting you out. For a rather non-artistic person as myself who used to think of a horse yet painted out what my friends refer to as “some kind of carrot or sweet potato”, of all the people on earth I had to meet my Lingnan master at an art exhibition and has followed him ever since. One could consider this a new journey in life where the 50% passive Chinese blood suddenly seems to take over. The more

Xianyang International Airport, May 14, 2013 There seems to be a queue at the airline check-in counter. Practicing good global citizenship, I stand in line. First time flying Hainan airlines as China Eastern Airline decided to cancel their flight a few days ago while I still need to be in Nanjing for a scheduled meeting today. A 50-year-old China man behind suddenly cuts past and elbows his way forward. That’s ok. He’s a lot older than me and I can learn to respect the senior

Shanghai, May 12, 2013 Excited to leave Shanghai for Xian, the much-talked about historical city in Shaanxi province, I rushed down to check out. The driver was already waiting for me in the lobby, looking all stressed out. “Please check out quickly ok?”, said the guy in Mandarin. “Sure”, I replied without a distant idea why. I know I have plenty of time before the flight. After all, I have a flight to catch, not him. Any way, one cannot survive thinking too much in China. Ev

Shanghai, May 12, 2013 Been to Shanghai numerous times before but coming from Tokyo does give it a different perspective altogether. The moment I stepped onto the China Eastern Airlines flight this morning, it was a completely different world; the big sloppy bags, the chaotic movements, the noises, the pushy encounters…. I often find myself vulnerable in such a settings. “When in Rome, do what the Romans do!”. So have we been taught by our ancestors. Gosh! Forgive me but I am

Tokyo, May 10, 2013 Even though the digital age has hit us hard in the last few years and even though I have been trying my best to keep up with technology, there is something about bookstores that’s just addictive to me. I can spend hours browsing around in a bookstore and to me that’s probably the most fulfilling me-time ever. And so I struggle in countries where bookstores are nowhere to be found such as China. Guess what? I feel completely at home in Tokyo. Tokyo is not s

It was 8:00PM on a small lane way near Tameike-sanno station. After a fulfilling sashimi dinner at Kitokito, a small tucked-away restaurant in the same area, I decided to take a walk and get some fresh air. After all, the weather has been very accommodating for this tropical person. I spotted several men-in-black waiting in line in front of a vending machine. Well, there were buttons and thumbnail images but I could not seem to locate any products. Tokyo itself is overloaded

Tokyo, May 08, 2013 10Am: out of the hotel walking to the conference center. Hardly see anyone on the street. Once in a while I spot a man in black. 12:30PM: out of the conference center walking down the street looking for a lunch spot. Groups of men in black are on the way to or from their lunch venues. I notice that most restaurants in the area are set up for a in-and-out lunch fix. 1PM we get into a Japanese noodle house. Groups of men in black fill the tables. The menu lo

Coming from the chaotic, hustle bustle cities of Melaka and Saigon, it’s been 12 hours since I landed in Tokyo and yet I have not seemed to get used to such organized-to-the-teeth environment here. What an efficient society! Everything is carefully thought out. Everyone plays their parts. Infrastructures are well-built. “What difference does it make?”, you ask. Man-made cities all start to look the same to me. But people never do! Not once have I been disappointed in the last

Saigon, May 05, 2013 The first time I met him was a few months ago at the Lingnan painting class. Saigon is my refuge after long trips and it is home to my artistic spirit. Mind you! It’s definitely not the most admiring side of me. I would never become an artist, but I am head over heels with the unconditional, un-biased, non-judgemental love our master has for us. It seems natural to him. “No table!” we say it in Vietnamese, meaning “there’s no argument about it”. Silly Vie

At times we get all upset about life being unfair, that some are better off and we haven’t got what we deserve… As I walked along Jonker Walk one night, I couldn’t help but staring at an average-looking lady, both hands and forearms cut off, yet tying a brush around her right-hand elbow with a wristband, writing Chinese calligraphy. With special interest in Chinese calligraphy, I decided to take a closer look. It turned out that she was writing calligraphy for a living and y