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I’ve been silent for some time now… That’s because I’ve been preparing for an epic series of 5 talks on 10 historic port cities in Southeast Asia. The talks shall feature histories and images from my book, The Romance of the … Continue reading
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This past weekend, Singapore has been under some sort of magic spell. Singaporeans – thousands and thousands of them – took to the streets and literally enjoyed themselves. They danced, they drank out in the open with their friends and loved … Continue reading
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This past weekend, Singapore celebrated its 50th year of Independence on 9th August. It was a time of reflection as well as of dreaming…in the sense of imagining and aspiring towards more to achieve in the future. I thought…since in … Continue reading
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So inevitably, I have arrived at the epilogue to Part II of my Grand Tour, on the Treaty Ports and Imperial Cities of China, Korea and Japan. 15 glittering cities of the Far East – Hong Kong, Macao, Canton, Amoy, … Continue reading
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So in the last week, I’ve been in Ambleside, in the Lake District, scaling pike and fell, fording beck and ghyll, skirting tarn and pond, and generally clambering over a number of summits to take in stunning views of Lake Windermere and … Continue reading
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The other historic grand hotel in Tokyo – and the one I actually stayed at – is the Tokyo Station Hotel. The Tokyo Station opened its doors in 1914 – it was built by the same architect that designed the Bank … Continue reading
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The Imperial Hotel is THE grande dame of the hospitality scene in Tokyo. It was built in the Meiji Era – the first Western-style hotel in Japan, built to cater to European visitors. It opened in 1890 but unfortunately, burnt down in … Continue reading
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The Imperial Palace in Tokyo stands on the foundations of the former Edo Castle, which has existed on the same site since 1457. In 1868, the Meiji Emperor moved from his Imperial Palace in Kyoto to the Edo Castle, renaming it … Continue reading
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To really view specimens of Meiji-era architecture up-close, one has to travel Southeast to Inuyama 犬山, a small town on the outskirts of Nagoya, for the one-of-a-kind Meiji Mura Museum. Literally meaning “Meiji Village,” Meiji Mura 明治村 is a sprawling … Continue reading
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In 1868, the Meiji Emperor, upon ascending to the Chrysanthemum Throne in the Imperial Capital, Kyoto 京都, subdued the Tokugawa Shogunate and abolished shogunates altogether, declaring that from henceforth, political power would once again be restored to the Monarchy. The last time … Continue reading
Dream Of A City 