Category Archives: Landmarks & History

A Stroll through Motomachi, Hakodate

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Motomachi 元町 is the erstwhile Foreign Settlement in the Treaty Port city in Hakodate. Even today, it contains many examples of well-preserved buildings from the Treaty Port era. Like the other foreign settlements we’ve encountered on the Japanese leg of … Continue reading

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The Grand Tour II-Postscript: Boxy Mansion…(函館)

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So just when I thought I was done with the second China-Korea-Japan leg of my Grand Tour of the East, I find myself in Hakodate, in Japan’s northern-most island of Hokkaido. Hakodate was THE very first treaty port in Japan, … Continue reading

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All Singaporeans are Experts in (Singaporean) Heritage

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So here it is, my second book for 2015 – it is part of a commemorative series of 50 books called Singapore Chronicles, each book of which features a specific subject pertaining to Singapore – education, law, history, arts, diplomacy and the like … Continue reading

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Tales of Asia V – Rangoon (Yangon), Penang & Singapore

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Here are the highlights of the final Tales of Asia talk, featuring port cities of the British Empire in Southeast Asia: Rangoon, Penang & Singapore. Full talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMnUg2xJv7U

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Tales of Asia V – Rangoon, Penang & Singapore, 14 Nov, Sat, 2 – 3 pm, Library@Orchard

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The fifth and final installment in the Tales of Asia series takes us back to British Empire in the East Indies in the 1800s and 1900s. We visit Rangoon (Yangon), the capital of British Burma; as well as George Town (Penang) … Continue reading

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Tales of Asia IV – Saigon & Hanoi

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Here are the highlights of my fourth Tales of Asia talk. Full talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df5t70mbXaA&feature=youtu.be

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Tales of Asia IV – Saigon & Hanoi, 8 Nov Sunday, 2 – 3 pm, Marine Parade Public Library

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The fourth in the Tales of Asia series takes us back to French Indochina in La Belle Epoque. We visit the former capital cities of Saigon (today’s Ho Chi Minh City) and Hanoi – the showpiece cities of the French … Continue reading

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Singapore Writer’s Festival 2015 – The Fluid Identities of Southeast Asia, 7 Nov, 4 – 5 pm

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I’m very happy to update that I shall be a featured writer at the Singapore Writer’s Festival 2015. Join me and journalist, Elizabeth Pisani (author of the book, Indonesia, Etc – Exploring the Impossible Nation) at a panel on “The … Continue reading

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Tales of Asia III – Bangkok & Phnom Penh

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Here are the highlights of my third Tales of Asia Talk. The link to the full talk is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCFaDv0gfBE

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Tales of Asia III – Bangkok and Phnom Penh, 30 Oct, 7 – 8 pm, Asian Civilisations Museum,

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This one’s about fairytale kingdoms, grand palaces and Kings… Join me as we travel back in time to explore the city of Ayutthaya in Siam, and how it provided a reference point for the establishment of Bangkok. Explore the surprising mixed, … Continue reading

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