Three books on Thai sak yant tattoos have recently been published, but Thai Magic Tattoos: the Art and Influence of Sak Yant (2013, ISBN-13: 978-616-7339-21-4) by Isabel Azevedo Drouyer is the finest among them, due in no small part through the photographs of René Drouyer. Two other books, written by veteran authors Joe Cummings and […]
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WoWasis product review: The incredible INAX “toilet shower” seat, now available worldwide
It probably started with us because we here at WoWasis hated the squat toilets that are traditional in most of the world. They’re messy and barbaric. We discovered Thai toilet hoses in 2002, reported on them, and even plumbed one into our house bathroom in our own country. But we weren’t prepared to be thoroughly […]
Read the rest of this entry »The best of Takayama Japan: Gomi Teruichi’s Showa Museum
The Takayama Showa Museum is not only one of the best things in Takayama, in our opinion here at WoWasis, it’s most of the most remarkable museums in the world. Showa refers to the period of Japanese history (1926-1987) following the Taisho era (1912-1925), and preceding the Heisei era (1988-today). Virtually everyone who has owned […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis travel product review: the SunDog indestructible book cover
Did you ever use a product that was so good and yet so simple that you used it for years and just didn’t think about how good it was? That’s why we here at WoWasis are writing about the book covers from SunDog that we’ve been using for years. What’s a book cover? It’s a […]
Read the rest of this entry »Why a balding, smoking, middle-aged white guy may be the new sex symbol in Japan
You can quote us here at WoWasis: Japan is different. Waaay different. By western standards, middle-aged white guys aren’t worth much, sexually or commercially. Ask yourself: how many older western guys are spokespersons, or models, or mage logos for anything hip? Can’t name one? Neither can we. Receding hairlines aren’t very popular: guys are paying […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis GPS product review: Magellan RoadMate 5265T-LMB vs Garmin Nuvi 1350 LMT
For several years now, we’ve been using the Garmin Nuvi 1350 LMT GPS navigator, but read a sterling review of the Magellan RoadMate 5265T-LMB, which seemed to be for us, an upgrade. Perhaps its most notable feature was its ability to show points of interest on the actual display itself, so we could make turns […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis travel product review: ArridXX Unscented deodorant, indefatigable in hot steamy climates
Here at WoWasis, we just can’t stand being stinky, especially when traveling in the hot hot tropics. And there are a number of reasons ArridXX Unscented can’t be beat. The best we’ve ever used is Byly, a Spanish product that generally can’t be found anywhere but Spain. It’s beloved by mountain climbers, because one application […]
Read the rest of this entry »Thailand Corruption Watch: Thai civil servants hopelessly in debt, so watch your pockets
Westerners doing business in Thailand frequently complain about the bribes they have to pay for many government-related services. Thais pay them too, but there’s a two-tiered structure, and farang always pay more. It what will surprise no one, it was reported in the January 9, 2013 issue of the Bangkok Post that Thai civil servants […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis introduces the colorful street stall vendors of Bangladesh
A poor country by economic standards, Bangladesh is rich in both the color and breadth of its internal commercial enterprises. It’s never more apparent than when visiting street stalls, with riots of color at every turn. It could be bread, fruit, textiles, or tools, but Bangladeshis have an eye for design and color as they […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: ‘The Ideal Man: The Tragedy of Jim Thompson’ by Joshua Kurlantzick
Here at WoWasis, we believe that there are at least two schools of thought on how best to live the expatriate experience in Asia. One we call “ping-ponging,” bouncing back and forth between one’s mother country and Asia. Regarding Thailand, one advocate who lives part-time in the U.S. states, “I go to Thailand, and after […]
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