Steve Rosse is a compelling storyteller and an excellent essayist. He also knows Phuket like the back of his hand, and his short story, Two for the Road (read it here at WoWasis) displays a hard, poignant edge that is characteristic of his best writing. Rosse’s latest book, She Kept the Bar Between Them, is […]
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for the 'By Country' Category
Giant Turtle sparks hunt in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake
Hanoi is buzzing over the fate of a giant 100 year-old turtle that lives in picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi. One of Vietnam’s oldest citizens, the turtle has a shell that measures 6 feet long by 4 feet wide. But these days, it’s not doing so well. Numerous lesions have appeared on its neck and […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: ‘Sightseeing’ by Rattawut Lapcharoensap
Rattawut Lapcharoensap was born in Chicago, raised in Thailand, and as an emerging writer, has written a terrific book of short stories based in Thailand, Sightseeing (2005, ISBN 0-8021-1788-0). The title is based on the story of a young man and his mother, who’s taking perhaps the last vacation she can visually enjoy, as her […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: Harold Stephens’ ‘At Home in Asia: Expatriates in Southeast Asia’
Writer and sailor Harold Stephens sure gets around. He lied about his age so he join join the Marines and fight in the Pacific, was imprisoned by the Chinese communists, escaped on a junk, rode across Australia on a motorcycle, and built his own concrete boat, which split apart in a hurricane after seeing endless […]
Read the rest of this entry »Western body odor takes Asia by storm, threatens the right to peaceably assemble
Your WoWasis research team has discovered that Good-smelling SE Asians are increasingly discussing ways to remove Westerners with foul armpit odor from their midst, including throwing them in jail without the benefit of habeas corpus legal protection. And surprisingly, they don’t want Westerners to be able to bribe their way out of it. One nation […]
Read the rest of this entry »4 rules for western women who want to socialize in Bangkok
Here at WoWasis, we always like monitoring what’s being said about male-female socialization in Asia, and we find one of the more interesting bloggers is Jenna, who writes out of Taiwan. She’s written a post today on how western women do (or do not) socialize in Asian countries, with a number of interesting observations and […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: Steve Raymond’s ‘Poison River’
Here at WoWasis, we’re aware of lots of reasons why you don’t want to get thrown in jail or prison in Thailand. When you do, you’re at the mercy of an unbelievable amount of corruption and bribery practices involving prison authorities, police, your own lawyers, and the justice system itself. As a foreigner, a great […]
Read the rest of this entry »Bachelor in Bangkok: Khun Lee on a trip to a Soapy Massage Parlor
editor’s note: for more on the nuts and bolts of the soapy massage experience, read WoWasis’ post on soapy massages For many years I have partied in Bangkok the traditional western way, which is to spend a great deal of my time in go-go bars and beer bars. These places are filled with western men, […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: Frank Visakay’s ‘Jasmine Fever’
In the experience of those of us here at WoWasis, most expat writers who have complimentary things to say about Thai women contrast them with disparaging views of Western women in general and Yank women in particular. Frank Visakay, a former New York chef, has penned a book that’s a hoot for guys who love the […]
Read the rest of this entry »The Good Manner: Thai prostitutes are in my hotel
The Good Manner: Advice on Thailand from WoWasis’ Pa Farang This week’s dilemma: Thai prostitutes are in my hotel Dear Pa Farang, I’ve been brought over here from Singapore to manage a hotel, and, as a western-educated woman, I’ve become concerned that our hotel bar has become inundated with Thai prostitutes, who appear at all […]
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