Han Suyin died in November of 2012 at the age of 95. Her book A Many-Splendored Thing, published in 1952, was the basis for the film starring William Holden and Jennifer Jones, and has influenced numerous writers. A recently written book, Janice Y.K. Lee’s The Piano Teacher, is probably one of those. So we went […]
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WoWasis book review: ‘Wave,’ a tsunami memoir by Sri Lanka’s Sonali Deraniyagala
Sri Lankan Author Sonali Deraniyagala lost her husband, two sons, and mother and father in the Dec. 26, 2004 tsunami, which killed an estimated 230,000 people. Her story is told in Wave (2013, ISBN 978-0-307-96269-0). It’s a story of tragedy, a personal loss reiterated, emphasized, and relentlessly pounded into the reader on virtually every page. […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: ‘The Piano Teacher’ by Janice Y.K. Lee
After finishing Janice Y.K. Lee’s ‘The Piano Teacher’ (2009, ISBN 978-0-14-311653-0), we went scurrying back to Han Suyin’s landmark novel of 1952, A Many-Splendored Thing. There are similarities, to be sure. The setting for both is pre-1955 Hong Kong, and they are essentially love stories that revolve around the unsettled military, political, and social situation […]
Read the rest of this entry »Korean island of Yongyu-Muui hopes to become a gambling mecca
Our gaming correspondents at www.onlinecasino.sg have just published a fascinating article on South Korea’s attempt to divert some of the gambling revenue that’s now going to Macau by putting billions of dollars into turning the island of Yongyu-Muui into a world-class gaming destination. Here’s what they have to say: The Korean island that’s taking on […]
Read the rest of this entry »Thai Teens’ pregnancy rate appears to be uncontrollable, feeding Bangkok’s bar scene
In our tours around Bangkok’s night spots, we here at WoWasis has noted that seemingly a majority of the city’s bar girls are young mothers. In an article published by Reuters this week, the situation appears to be accelerating. The article reports that “even though the overall birthrate is dropping, teen births are on the […]
Read the rest of this entry »Pa Farang answers: Why can’t my American boyfriend keep his butt clean?
The Good Manner: Advice on Thailand from WoWasis’ Pa Farang This week’s dilemma: Why can’t my American boyfriend keep his butt clean? Dear Pa Farang, I am a Thai lady, and my American boyfriend showed me your column. He’s away, so I’m writing. He never keeps his butt clean. He leaves poo marks all over […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: ‘Who Needs a Road? The Longest and Last Motor Journey Around the World’ by Harold Stephens and Albert Podell
Back in 1999, we here at WoWasis drove 4000 km through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. We broke down in soft sand up to our axels in the bush with lions nearby, got an accidental fill-up of diesel 200 km from the nearest Kalahari town, and did it all while driving solo in a […]
Read the rest of this entry »Bachelor in Bangkok: Khun Lee’s Three Reasons to be wary of “dating” a bar girl
I was chatting with a friend the other day and he happened to mention that he was “dating” a gal who works in a Nana Plaza go-go bar. It is needless to say that one doesn’t “date” such a gal, but merely pays a certain amount of money for a certain amount of time and […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: ‘Take China: The Last of the China Marines’ by Harold Stephens
Harold Stephens, author of Take China: The Last of the China Marines (2003, ISBN 0-9642521-8-X), maintains that the book is a novel, but in actuality it’s a memoir, his autobiographical tales of serving with the U.S. Marines, transitioning from the end of World War II to mainland China. He’s changed the names, but it’s all […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: ‘The Vets’ … Hong Kong and Bangkok intrigue by Stephen Leather
British novelist Stephen Leather has written an amazing body of fiction books centering on Southeast Asia. In The Vets (1993, ISBN 978-0-340-59770-5), he includes Hong Kong in the mix, in a fast-paced thriller that displays his knowledge of HK prior to its takeover by the Chinese as well as his understanding of the powerful mainland […]
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