Majuli Island, in the remote North East Indian state of Assam, is the largest river island in the world. It is rapidly being lost to the savage effects of climate change. Surrounded by the mighty Brahmaputra River, scientists predict that
The Toilets of Japan
I know, I know, toilet humour really is the lowest common denominator. But this post isn’t about toilet humour I promise, but rather it’s about toilet etiquette in Japan. You see the Japanese are incredibly clean people, and their obsession
Expats Behaving Badly
Something happened this week that made me so mad I felt compelled to write about it. Of all the things that annoy me about living in India, the thing that makes me most upset is when I see someone with
Life in a Refugee Camp: Thailand
I was fortunate enough to spend New Year’s Eve and Day visiting two refugee camps on the Thai / Burma border (Burma is officially known as Myanmar now). A friend that I have been visiting in Thailand works on the
Becoming a Writer: Bali
The island of Bali in Indonesia is one those places that every Australian ends up visiting eventually. For me, that time came when I made a rather last minute and decadent decision to treat myself to a weekend away. I
The Day India Nearly Broke My Spirit
I finally had that day where India nearly broke my spirit. It’s the end of monsoon, which means the air is thick with moisture and oh so very hot. Not the kind of weather where you want to be shuffled
Bollywood: Where Heroes Can Be Villains
There is an interesting thing I have observed in Indian culture, if someone is admired, lauded or dare I say worshipped, for some reason they seem to be above the law. They can do as much wrong as they want,
Potluck Me: Starting a Business in India
One of things I have always said that I love about India is that anything seems possible. Two years ago when I was leaving my job in a bank, if someone had told me I would be earning a living
Geek Post: The Fascinating Lean Process of The Dabbawalas of Mumbai
The Dabbawalas of Mumbai are legendary. These 5,000 people deliver over 200,000 lunches a day to the workers of Bombay, and have done so for almost 125 years. It is not so much what they do that is remarkable, but
Keeping the Poor Down: India’s Growth Strategy
I really struggle with seeing the poverty in India, and I have posted before about my struggles with poverty, charity, apathy towards the poor and my observations of some of the middle class. I have come to the conclusion that