The sharper edge to traveling in Asia

Archive for the 'Antiquities Arts & Crafts Shops' Category

WoWasis museum and book review: Quito Ecuador’s Pre-Columbian Casa Del Alabado

Ecuador’s capital of Quito boasts a number of interesting things to see, but we here at WoWasis found none more fascinating than the fascinating pre-Columbian museum, Casa Del Alabado. The guide book is something you’ll probably want to have, but more on that later. The strength of the museum is in its ceramics collection of […]

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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 […]

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WoWasis book review: ‘Myanmar Buddha: The Image and Its History’ by Somkiart Lopetcharat

This very fine and comprehensive book on Burmese Buddha images is generally available only in Southeast Asia, so we here at WoWasis would advise putting it on your shopping list for your next trip. Somkiart Lopetcharat’s Myanmar Buddha: The Image and Its History (2007, ISBN 978-974-09-6065-2) carries a suggested retail price of $85 USD, and […]

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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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Korean Hahoe Masks and Theatrical Performances

Hahoe masks and performances offer a rich cultural experience to travelers visiting South Korea

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Antiquities and crafts shopping in Seoul, South Korea

Shopping for antiquities and crafts in Seoul can be rewarding, provided you go to the right areas

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WoWasis book review: Thailand (Siam) as it was in 1926

To scholars and historians, a romp through Thailand’s used bookstores is always fascinating, revealing a plethora of material not available in stores carrying new books. But there are treasures to be found in used bookstores in other countries as well, consisting of older books carried home by travelers, and sold to used stores by those […]

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WoWasis Book review: Susan Conway’s ‘Thai Textiles’

Here at WoWasis, we consider it a tribute to author Susan Conway that her book Thai Textiles (1992, ISBN 974-8225-798) continues to be a primary source on the subject some 20 years after its initial publishing date. This 192 page paperback retails for $140 USD on the internet, although used copies may be found for […]

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The tuk-tuk driver took me on a wild goose chase in Bangkok

The Good Manner: Advice on Thailand from WoWasis’ Pa Farang This week’s dilemma: The tuk-tuk driver took me on a wild goose chase  Dear Pa Farang, I agreed to pay a tuk-tuk driver 50 baht to go to a temple. Instead, he drove us around to two different gem shops.you to gem shops, and finally […]

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WoWasis explores Taiwan’s rich indigenous aboriginal culture

Taiwan’s presence in the high technology world has given it an aura of modernity that somewhat masks the fact that it has an extraordinary richness and diversity of aboriginal peoples. These diverse tribes are all part of the Austronesian language group, which spans an incredible distance, from Madagascar to Easter Island, and Taiwan to New […]

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