Here at WoWasis, we’re always looking at new twists on the Bangkok Fiction literary genre. The ‘bar girl meets western man’ theme has been covered in dozens of books, so Erich R. Sysak’s Stage IV (2011, ISBN 978-981-08-5435-5) really caught our eye. It’s not often a guy dying from cancer gets to be a book’s […]
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for the 'By Country' Category
Bachelor in Bangkok: Khun Lee on rude Western women and weak Western men
I just returned from my twice a year pilgrimage to the gates of hell (United States) and the jet lag lingers on and on. It’s amazing that I lived my first 43 years in the USA and I still feel like an outsider when I return to visit. Let me tell you that those poor […]
Read the rest of this entry »Tourist complaints increase in Japan as Nikko’s historic sites are renovated
Japan is undergoing renovations of major historical buildings all over the country, but in the eyes of many visitors, it’s most apparent and frustrating in the city of Nikko, two hours north of Tokyo. Shrines and Temples of Nikko is a UNESCO World Heritage site consisting of two Shinto shrines and one Buddhist temple (Futarasan […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis tours Tokyo by bicycle
To us here at WoWasis, it first the concept of seeing a lot of one of the world’s largest cities by bicycle in one day sounded absurd. Tokyo isn’t laid out on a grid pattern, so following a map and doing on your own is problematic, especially considering the constant traffic. But doing it alongside […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis visits sex fetish bar, ‘BarBar’ in Bangkok
Note: We here at WoWasis field all sorts of questions about Asia. Many of them are about entertainment options and Bangkok always heads the list. We’ve gotten several queries recently about fetish and S&M activities in Bangkok, so we thought we’d go right to the source by interviewing Barbara, who manages BarBar, a noted fetish […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: James Eckardt’s ‘Singapore Girl’ and ladyboys
“One thing for sure. I never want to be an old ladyboy.” -a WoWasis transgender friend (2002) Veteran Asia writer James Eckardt has written a number of fascinating books on the Southeast Asian scene, and he’s a good writer, having worked for the Bangkok Post, The Nation, and the Phnom Penh Post. His working creds […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis visits Sho-ren-in temple in Kyoto, Japan
Blink, and you’ll miss it. But you shouldn’t. On the famed “temple walk” through the southern Higashiyama district in Kyoto, you’ll pass by and see a lot of temples and shrines. If you’re like us here at WoWasis, you’ll yearn for a few minutes of peace and quiet away from the crowds, and Sho-ren-in Temple […]
Read the rest of this entry »Jet-setting Thai monk defrocked, Thailand now in shock and denial
A multimillionaire jet-setting Thai monk has fled the country with millions of dollars, leaving the nation in Thailand in sock and awe. Shock, because holy people aren’t supposed to be building empires and impregnating 13 year old girls. Awe, because he’s been getting away with the shenanigans for so long, he seems to be the […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis visits Sumiya, a historical restaurant and entertainment architectural museum in Kyoto, Japan
Sumiya is a wonderful, ancient traditional restaurant and entertainment venue, originally built in 1641, that’s now a museum of sorts, primarily involved in the architectural preservation of the building and interior. It’s considered to be the finest example of Edo-period ageya (restaurant and entertainment venue) architecture in urban Japan. Here is where lavish meals were […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis visits Nijo Castle in Kyoto, Japan
Nijo Castle is an important UNESCO World heritage site in Kyoto, although the appellation is losing some of its luster, since that body seems to be giving out that honor like candy these days. Nevertheless, the castle is well worth seeing, and easy to get to, located in central Kyoto. Important aspects of the castle […]
Read the rest of this entry »
