Don’t let the title of the book fool you. There’s more here than just a story of the demise of the legendary silk king. Harold Stephens’ The Strange Disappearance of Jim Thompson and Stories of Other Expats in Southeast Asia (2003, ISBN 0-9642521-7-1), which originally was published in 1978 under the title Asian Portraits, is […]
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for the 'Culture & History' Category
Welcome to Bangladesh: an introduction
Welcome to Bangladesh! Here, braving the challenges of a country that doesn’t have much of a travel infrastructure for the westerner does have significant rewards. You’ll see things most people you know haven’t, like the wonderful historical temples and mosques outside of Rajshahi and Bagerhat, outside of Khulna. The Sundarbans National Park consists of the […]
Read the rest of this entry »Bangladesh pollution, air, land, and hygienic, still daunting to visitors
You first notice it from the air, about 100 miles out from the capital of Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The air below you has suddenly turned yellow, created by plumes of smoke coming from industrial chimneys that you later learn are from brick factories. In Dhaka city, despite the fact that many vehicles now run […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis visits Bagerhat’s exceptional historical temples and mosques near Khulna, Bangladesh
Historical mosques and temples in Bagerhat, Bangladesh are an easy drive from the city of Khulna
Read the rest of this entry »Bangkok’s Nana Plaza sex emporium good for another 10 years now that master lease has been renewed
To the relief of millions of punters worldwide, Bangkok’s Nana Entertainment Plaza has had its master lease renewed for another ten years. This three story atrium boasts dozens of go-go and beers bars, to go along with five ladyboy bars. In short, there’s something here for everyone. Prior to the signing of the lease, there […]
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 »Why WoWasis meets (and needs) the friendly people of Bangladesh
One of the first things the seasoned Western traveler to Bangladesh will encounter is the lack of signage in English. To us here at WoWasis, it was most apparent beginning with the main train station in the country’s capital of Dhaka. There is zero signage in English and even the numbers are listed in Bengali. […]
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 […]
Read the rest of this entry »A mad dash for university placement in Khulna, Bangladesh
Unversity exams in Bangladesh are critical to future success
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis makes a one-day visit to Puthia and the exceptional historical sites near Rajshahi and Bogra, Bangladesh
In addition to being a great respite from the craziness of Dhaka, the city of Rajshahi, seven hours to the west by train, is close to a number of significant historical sites, which lie within the area of Rajshahi to the west, and Bogra to the east. To best see them, hire a car and […]
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