The Course of Love (2016)
To many non-fiction readers, “essayist” Alain de Botton will be a household name, although not always for the right reasons. At times hailed as a pop philosopher spreading words of wisdom, at other times he is lambasted as an overblown self-help guru. His works have tackled nearly every major contemporary concern – philosophy, religion, work, […]
Hong Kong 97: Kowloon Kurosawa
The year is 1997 and Hong Kong is the setting for what is generally regarded as the worst video game of all time. As Britain transfers sovereignty over the territory to China and the tanks roll in, so do Chinese in huge numbers, causing the crime rate to soar. Former British governor Chris Patten engages […]
Tasting the Future of Coffee in Vietnam
There’s a high chance you have sampled Vietnam’s coffee beans before — you just may not have realized it. As the world’s second-biggest coffee producer behind Brazil, Vietnamese caffeine regularly energizes large parts of the world, its beans broken down into everything from instant coffee sachets to popular energy drinks. Over the past few years, […]
An Expert’s Guide to Saigon’s Best Banh Mi
Vietnamese American chef and author Andrea Nguyen scours the backstreets of former Saigon for the famed sandwiches, from classic breakfast options to after-dark favourites. The banh mi – an airy-soft baguette encasing a heady blend of charcuterie meats, cheeses, pâté and pungent herbs and vegetables – is Vietnam’s famed yet humble sandwich. But for celebrated […]
Rashomon (1950)
Truth and justice are admired in our modern, ethics-based society, but sometimes laws have to be broken. When it comes to moviemaking, the conventions set down by cinema’s forefathers aren’t always meant to be followed – despite what film professors will tell you. Visionary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa knew this when he conceived Rashomon, his breakthrough […]
Coconuts: Byron Perry
Admit it: you’re addicted to the internet. Given some downtime at work you turn to Facebook, only to find it mostly offers photos of cats and friends’ babies. You turn to Instagram, where people are mostly showing off their private parts. You even turn to Twitter, but it’s filled with the meaningless ramblings of celebrities. […]
Humanity’s Earliest Creativity
Until recently, the ancient hand and footprints embedded deep into a boulder high up on the Tibetan Plateau — their origins unknown but seemingly composed with deliberate intent — have gone unnoted by academic researchers. Local villagers believed them to be made by yetis and — at times — even worshipped them as the markings […]
Beach Days in Burma
Waves crashing against the shore, white-sands that stretch along a pristine coast, palm trees swaying in the background. The stunning beach stereotype is one essential to Southeast Asia, places of sheer paradisiacal beauty where untouched shores blend with abundant seafood and cheap booze for what many consider paradise on earth. That dream is, of course, […]
Stalker (1979)
Western counterparts might routinely trump them in modern filmmaking stakes, but Russia once was a major cinematic contender. Early efforts such as Battleship Potemkin and Man With a Movie Camera were groundbreaking, but as the Soviet Union started to come into power, the country’s big-screen sensibilities languished into lethargy. Fear and censorship ruled, and only […]
Matthew Williamson, Designer
From the 49th floor of the Upper House Hotel in Admiralty, the clear blue skies reveal the city’s skyline – but it’s practically lost on Matthew Williamson. The British fashion designer seems a little dazed, but then he’s been a busy man. Williamson has only just finished his autumn-winter 2014 collection which debuted at London […]