Blog Archives

The Historic Hakodate Waterfront (and Hotel New Hakodate)

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The Port and Historic Waterfront in Hakodate also contains a high concentration of historic buildings from the city’s Meiji, Taisho and Showa eras, and is well-worth a walk. The highlight of the historic Waterfront is the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses … Continue reading

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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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Of Faraway Places and Old Friends

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Lately I’ve been dreaming of faraway places and old friends. I’m overwhelmed by a restlessness… a kind of delicious fever that has me distracted, unable to concentrate on the moment, even impatient and short-tempered. I wish to let everything fall behind me, … Continue reading

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Turning Points and Taking Flight

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So it seems  have reached a turning point in my life again. In December 2014, I took stock of my year, and I made a 2015 resolution to secure a THIRD book deal in a genre I had not yet been … Continue reading

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Resolution for 2016: Laugh More and Laugh Easily

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So this is it… The year has almost ended and it is time, once again, to take stock and give account. I made many resolutions for 2015. In fact I had a matrix of resolutions, for various different aspects of … 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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