Tag: Travel

Midnight at Malabar House: A Novel by Vaseem Khan

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The Malabar House Series #1

Midnight at Malabar House: A Novel by Vaseem Khan

This novel was so fun to read, and with every one of the detective’s victories I felt like yelling out, “Go get it, girl!”

The novel revolves a young woman who has become India’s first police detective. The case of a lifetime is thrust — seemingly serendipitously — into her lap. But it’s a double-edged sword: she could either emerge from the fight triumphant, the murderer under her arrest, or lop her own head off and prematurely end her career before it even begins. But that isn’t the own tightrope she has to balance.

Malabar House is the name of her station, and its where — as a woman in a male-dominated career –she has to prove to herself, she is a worthy policewoman and Indian citizen and earn the obedience of her colleagues, if not their respect too. Obstacles of all sorts are thrown at her, some from within the ranks and others by those she thought would support her to the most. Betrayal lurks in wait for her everywhere.

It’s a very intriguing story, not only for the mystery at the root of the novel, but because it takes place at a critical moment in Indian history, just as the new nation is emerging from its colonial cage, when change is possible in all sorts of ways (for the better and for the worse), when Britain’s imperial secrets might be exposed under the lights of new India.

I enjoyed both threads of the story immensely. Unlike many postcolonial novels, which are dark and brooding and deeply serious Midnight at Malabar House was joyous and in parts, comedic (perhaps only in comparison). I felt vindicated each time our detective “won one” over her misogynistic colleagues or the corrupt officials who threatened to stand in her way. That said, readers should not expect to be only entertained; the traumatic history of India’s partition, the genocide of Muslims and Hindus, and other dark elements of British imperialism feature here. Post colonial literature is often tinged with some amount of sadness and trauma, justifiably, and this novel has its share of this.

I am not one for book series — I prefer standalone novels and duologies are my usual limit — but I wouldn’t mind reading another one in the Malabar House series at all.

The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise by Pico Iyer

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The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise
by Pico Iyer

Memoir. History. Travelogue. In this book, Iyer seeks out ways in which paradise exists on earth and in the human imagination. The result is a global journey, one which peels back the multiple images and meanings the word “paradise” evokes.

Divided into three parts, The Half Known Life delves headfirst into the various ways humanity has dreamed of paradise, understood and interpreted it. Part one takes on the Islamic, Iranian version of paradise and its manifestation on earth, the notion of a “promised land” in whatever subjective form that may be. Part two has a spiritual, religious slant; faiths offer the incentive of a paradise, whether earthly or otherworldly. Iyer scatters his ink wide from Damascus to Ethiopia to the Shangri-La of the Himalayas. The Half Known Life explores Judeo-Christian views, Buddhist perspectives, indigenous ideas of what heaven may be or could be or is. Part three takes the conversation to the dark side: the afterlife, the question of time and if paradise is a time or a place.

Musings. Memories. Philosophies. The Half Known Life is a collection of ideas, all aimed toward this notion of paradise, whether geographical or psychological or paranormal. This is a work of philosophical significance and a view into how our world views the places of our desires (a paradise on earth) and our sense of what comes after life ends and where we go (heaven, for lack of a better word).

Tabemasho! Let’s Eat! A Tasty History of Japanese Food in America by Gil Asakawa

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Tabemasho! Let’s Eat!
A Tasty History of Japanese Food in America by Gil Asakawa

Tabemasho! Let’s Eat! reminds me of one of the very first times I went out to eat in America. I’d been in the country for a few days, maybe a week, and I was taken out to dinner at a local Chinese American restaurant. I was thrilled, having never had Chinese American food before. At the end of the meal my hosts asked me, “What kind of fortune cookies do y’all have over there?” I was stunned. “We don’t have them in Asia.” Then they were shocked, having always assumed that fortune cookies were authentic desserts from the exotic East. The culture shock on both sides of that encounter and the histories behind the assumptions made around food are what Asakawa’s Tabemasho! Let’s Eat! brings to the forefront.

Though there is a serious side to Asakawa’s Tabemasho! Let’s Eat!, the book is a fun, fun read. Asakawa’s prose is super-casczz, chummy, and hilarious. Reading him is like having a beer with a friend who’s found a great place to eat and can’t wait to take you there. Asakawa was quick at the elbow with a witty comment. He was there to give me the low-down tale behind a (his)story.

I appreciated was the book’s serious side too. I enjoyed how unafraid Asakawa was to speak his mind on the tougher topics of cultural appropriation and America’s racist history of Asian exclusion. Indeed, much of Asakawa’s point is that Japanese American cuisine and culture is borne out of that dark period.

The book is split into thematic chapters, each one taking on a different dish like Noodles or Bowls of Rice (don), or Sushi. Asakawa also devotes a chapter to Japanese American history and the ways in which transcultural cuisine develops through migration, separation, and racism. The sushi and noodle chapters are especially extensive, providing the reader with tips on where to go and what to expect, types of dishes, the differences between Japanese and American interpretations of various dishes, as well as histories of these dishes from both sides of the Pacific Ocean.

There are also chapters on lesser known delectables such as Japanese soft drinks. I was so happy to read about Pocari Sweat — one of my childhood favorites, sold in Southeast Asia by the case! — which is (I think), the inspiration for one of my favorite fizzy drinks, 100 Plus. I can’t describe how they taste; they’re a cross of salty and sweetness, their appeal much like chocolate-covered pretzels. I grew up in South Korea for a time as well; it was there I became familiar with Yakult, Calpico and the whole plethora of yogurt-based drinks that are so popular in East Asian culture. Reading these chapters was like sipping at a memory of my childhood.

The chapter on baked desserts and pastries made my mouth water. Stopping at a Chinese, Korean, or Japanese bakery is one my favorite weekend excursions. The soft, sweet, white bread that melts in your mouth is a paradise. The red bean pastes, creams, and the custards are unique interpretations of Chinese, French, and European treats.

Asakawa also provides the reader with an extensive (though non-academic) bibliography and reference list so the reader can let themselves wander further on this culinary path.

London 2010 – Portobello Street Market &tc.

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Traveling solo does something to the eyes. It opens them up to things you never noticed before because you were too busy paying attention to another person. In 2010 I got to visit London on my own, and since I didn’t have a lot of money, I spent a lot of time walking around and just looking at things through my camera. Mind you, it wasn’t a great camera either.

I have so many photos from the British Museum, and really I didn’t get to fully explore the whole place. It’s huge! What I loved about it – aside from the artifacts – was its interior architecture, my favorite part of which I captured here. It’s the “front” of the museum before you even get to the good stuff.
Spent time just walking around, taking the bus. Here I am crossing one of London’s bridges by foot.
Spent so much time walking back and forth across bridges… And of course, the buses fascinated me.
The food at Portobello Market was incredible. Here a vendor is selling paella and crusty bread.
The crowds were out in full force, tourists and locals alike it seemed like – even though it was a pretty cloudy, chilly day early on.
Everyone was lining up for this vendor.
Had to capture the sign, just because it’s a touristy thing to do. And well, that’s what I was.
This is one of my favorite pictures from walking around Portobello Street Market. There are tourists and locals and all kinds of people just looking, shopping, spending an afternoon here.

Malaysia 2010, 2011, 2013

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I have so many hundreds of photos of Malaysia and all things Malaysian: people, food, places, sites, random pictures of stray cats. Here I’ve picked some of my favorites from the past three trips there. They’re from all over Malaysia, some from Penang, some from Melaka, one from Pahang when I was in Kuantan. And of course, Kuala Lumpur.

I visited these places in multiple capacities, as a tourist, as a local, as an anthropologist, as a student, as a photographer. Most of the photos are “found”, none of them were posed or premeditated.

Most of these photos were taken using a really cheap-O point and shoot, or my iPhone 4.

Here’s a Chinese “folk religion” temple on the island of Penang, where some people are praying to the deity “housed” here. The temple has an open court yard to allow the incense to waft up and out into the sky.
Bukit Bintang is the center for shopping, nightlife and modern fun in Kuala Lumpur. All the best and worst hotels/motels/B&Bs are here. In the background is the KLCC tower, once the world’s tallest building.
Walking around late one night in Melaka I came across a pig butchering operation. Malaysia is a plural society, so while there are muslims who refrain from porcine products, there are also Chinese and Indians (and many others) who do not live under the same religious or legal restrictions.
While in Pahang I got to visit a keropok lekor factory. Keropok Lekor is a fried fish snack, which I find super, super tasty. It was a small operation, maybe 10 people in all, in a non-airconditioned, sheet metal roofed and walled building. It smelled a bit fishy, as you can imagine, but it was fascinating.
This was one of the heritage styled hotels in Melaka. They’ve kept up the nyonya/Straits Chinese architectural style, here illuminated wonderfully by the modern neon lights. Modern meets traditional is always a favorite theme of mine in Malaysia.
Up on the hill in Melaka, there’s an old Portuguese/Dutch church ruin and through its many windows and doorways you can get a panoramic view of modern, downtown Melaka. Here you can see one of the sprawling shopping centers in the not-so-far-off distance. Modern meets Traditional.
I got my first tattoo in Borneo in 2010, and the following year when I went back I got a 2nd one. Both were done traditionally, using a hammer. Perhaps it was placement, but both of these hurt far less than the machined one I got later. They also healed super quickly, taking about a week to scab.
Here’s a Hindu deity sculpture on the exterior wall of a Hindu kuil in Penang, in the Little India section of Georgetown.
Here’s a Hindu deity sculpture on the exterior wall of a Hindu kuil in Penang, in the Little India section of Georgetown.
Here’s a Hindu deity sculpture on the exterior wall of a Hindu kuil in Penang, in the Little India section of Georgetown.
Around Historic Georgetown in Penang, tourists get around by taking rickshaws, powered by bicycle by these men. When I spoke to them they said they were having a hard time finding young people to start doing this work. At the same time, they were glad that young people had other, better opportunities, as rickshaw driving is very physically strenuous. These guys are taking a break on the sidewalk, playing checkers with bottle caps and one man is having his take-away mixed rice lunch. Hawker stalls here wrap up lunch for you in plastic and brown paper, then rubber-band it.

Cambodia 2013 – Angkor Complex & Phnom Penh

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I got the chance last year to visit one of the most amazing places on Earth: Cambodia and specifically, the ruins of Angkor! I took so many photos in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, my vacation there lasting about 2 weeks, so these photos are only a sampling of the photos I took. I’ve tried to caption them to give some context to the image.

I was at one of the temples at Angkor – I think it was Pre-Rup – just around sunset when the complex closes and tourists have to leave for the day. This girl was trying to make one last sale of the day, offering these post cards and bracelets to me for $1USD.
In Phnom Penh this is the equivalent of a taxi. Here’s a driver taking a nap during the mid-day heat. Often tourists engage a tuk-tuk for the day, agreeing with the driver on a price and the number of and which sites he will drive them to that day.
This was taken at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh. These are the photos of many of the Khmer Rouge’s prisoners, those who lived and died at the school-turned-torture house. This was a really rough site to visit.
Within the Angkor complex there are lots of Khmer selling arts and crafts, including this one, an oil painting of a temple.
This is sunrise at Angkor Wat; that is, the main temple site named Angkor Wat. This one site is often mistaken for representing the entire complex, but it is actually just one of MANY temple and building sites. The thing to do for tourists is to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat, to get that Super Sunrise Shot. We came at the end of the rainy season so it was cloudy most of our days there. Not such a bad thing considering how hot Cambodia is.
My friend Eve and I rode the bus up north from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, and along the highway you could see people’s homes and shops.
PreRup temple has a pretty fantastic view from the top, overlooking the jungle, so tourists climb up and wait for sunset. We came on a cloudy day, so the view wasn’t as spectacular, but anthropologist that I am, I found the tourists just as mesmerizing in their behavior.