Categories
HOWTO Life

Warren Buffett’s System for Sharpening Your Career Focus

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James Clear shares an interesting anecdote, reportedly based on advice legendary investor Warren Buffet (pictured above) gave to his personal pilot, Mike Flint.

If you don’t want to click through, here’s the TLDR for how the Oracle of Omaha said to focus on what’s most important in your work:

  1. List your top 25 career goals
  2. Circle the 5 most important
  3. The key: Avoid the other 20 “goals” until you’ve accomplished the first 5

That’s it. Do what’s important until the big stuff is taken care of.

I like it. 

Related: my Book Notes entry from last year on “The One Thing,” By Gary Keller with Jay Papasan:

Brief re-cap: This is a short book with a simple thesis: In every job, there is one single activity that you should focus on that will improve your value to your company or your customers. You should focus on that, above all else, even if it means neglecting other responsibilities, the authors argue.

Categories
HOWTO Travel

My Top 10 Southeast Asia Travel Tips

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tl;dr:

  1. Don’t rush
  2. For longer trips, use Bangkok as a Base
  3. Next, Look Beyond Thailand to Cambodia, Laos, and Especially Vietnam
  4. More Destinations: Myanmar and Borneo
  5. Eat Liberally
  6. Disconnect
  7. If You Must, SIM Cards are Wi-Fi Widely Available
  8. Don’t Overpack, But Bring the Right Stuff
  9. Ask Friends of Friends for Advice
  10. Do Your Own Research

I spent a decade living and reporting in Southeast Asia: eight years in Bangkok followed by just over two years in Singapore.

Between work trips and vacations, I’ve visited every sizable country in the region, and most on several occasions: Myanmar, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Friends sometimes ask me for tips on visiting the region, so I decided to compile my advice here, in one place.

But first, a couple of caveats:

  • The Web abounds with detailed suggestions on where to go and what do in the region. You will certainly be able to find specific tips by simply Googling your potential destinations and interests, but what I’ve aimed to do here is provide mostly my big-picture thoughts — the most important principles you should know when planning a trip.

    I’m also throwing in a few specifics, of course, but this post is meant to be a starting point for trip research and planning.

  • Also, a warning that things change quickly: small, once-quiet towns become overrun (I’m looking at you, Pai, Thailand) and cool new bars and restaurants pop up unexpectedly where they once didn’t exist.

1. Don’t Rush

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This is a no-brainer for seasoned travelers, but it bears repeating.

As Rolf Potts says in his excellent 2002 book “Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel,” few regions in the world offer such diversity of culture, within such close proximity, that can be visited as easily and cheaply as Southeast Asia.

But don’t hurry to try to do too much all at once, with a rapid-fire itinerary like you would compile for a trip to the U.S. or Europe. Transportation links are pretty good, but things can take a little longer in Southeast Asia, which is part of its charm anyway.

If you’re coming from the U.S., for example, you really need two weeks at a minimum, otherwise you’ll be jet lagged much of the time you’re here, and will simply spend too much time on the airplane compared to your time actually on the ground. Longer than two weeks is even better, if you can swing it.

(This is, of course, generally good travel advice wherever you’re going: It’s better to focus on one or two destinations and explore them well than to visit as many places as possible but only get to know them superficially.)

2. For longer trips, use Bangkok as a Base

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Again, this may seem obvious, but a good approach, especially if you’re traveling on a limited budget or have a a lot of time — as in, months — and a flexible schedule, is to fly into the Thai capital.

Bangkok is an excellent choice because:

  • it’s right in the middle of the region, with good transport links
  • has food and lodging that are relatively inexpensive
  • is fascinating in its own right

Those who do even a little bit of investigating will a find a much more complex place than the one featured in movies like “The Beach” and “The Hangover Part 2.”

A few of my favorite Bangkok destinations and activities include:

  • The Jim Thomspon House — an excellent first-day-in-Bangkok place to visit, with a lovely shaded restaurant where you can have a cool drink after the tour
  • Chatuchak Market, the famous weekend bazaar, great for shopping — or simply people watching via the handful of bars and restaurants there
  • the restaurant Arun Residence, from which you can take in Wat Arun, across the Chao Phraya
  • the roofop bar at the Banyan Tree hotel
  • Smalls, a new-ish neighborhood bar on Soi Suan Phlu
  • Lumphini Park — great for a walk or jog, especially in the mornings and evenings, when it’s a bit cooler
  • Eat Me restaurant in Silom
  • Soul Food Mahanakorn restaurant in Thonglor
  • river taxi ride on the Chao Phraya
  • a shopping mall food court at a place like MBK, where you can sample just about any Thai dish imaginable

From the Thai capital, you can travel up to the northern city of Chiang Mai or down to some of the beaches, depending on your inclination. (One fun way to get up to Chiang Mai is the overnight train. You can book tickets from a local travel agent or from your hotel concierge in Bangkok.)

Chiang Mai:

  • has excellent food
  • has many picturesque temples
  • has a climate is slightly cooler than Bangkok’s
  • is fairly walkable, for Thailand, at least in the center of the city

Note: It is, however, a city; many people imagine it to be a small town, but it does suffer from big city ills like surprisingly thick traffic at times, and occasionally aggressive touts.

For budget hotels in Chiang Mai, I have had some nice stays at 3 Sis.

And for khao soi noodle soup, a northern Thailand specialty, my favorite restaurant is the nearby Huen Phen. (For Huen Phen, note that khao soi is served at the restaurant during lunchtime; the more upscale restaurant inside doesn’t serve it for dinner.)

Outside Chiang Mai, I really love the far northern town of Mae Hong Son. We had a fun trip there several years ago and stayed at Fern Resort.

Another option, from Bangkok, is go to the beach.

Popular destinations in the Gulf of Thailand, just several hours drive (taxis are bookable through hotels) are:

  • Koh Samet
  • the resort city of Hua Hin

Some of the best beach trips we took from Bangkok involved simply renting a car and driving the three or so hours down to a resort or hotel in Hua Hin.

Koh Samet and Hua Hin aren’t as exotic as some of Thailand’ more far-flung seaside spots, but they’re easier to get to.

Farther afield are beaches you’d need to fly to, but where you’ll find more options:

  • the island of Phuket
  • Krabi

Parts of Phuket are over-developed and seedy, while others a quiet and contain gorgeous, serene beaches. The thing to remember about Phuket is that it’s so big that it offers all kinds of accommodations, even though many people are only familiar with its less attractive parts.

Meanwhile, a longtime favorite location of ours in Krabi is Railei Beach Club, though I haven’t been in several years and I hear the area has gotten quite crowded.

Further afield: One of the most memorable trips I did in Thailand was in 2008, when, for a Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia story I rented a car and drove along the Mekong river, from the city of Udon Thani in the north to the city of Ubon Ratchathani in the east.

Few tourists venture to this part of Thailand, the rural Isaan region, and I very much recommend visiting to see how a huge portion of Thai people live.

So, to sum up: Bangkok is an fascinating and fun city, and gives you access to Chiang Mai in the north and the beaches in the south.

3. Next, Look Beyond Thailand to Cambodia, Laos, and Especially Vietnam

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If you have more than ten days or two weeks, you also visit somewhere nearby like Angkor Wat, next door in Cambodia. (It’s possible to travel overland from Bangkok, to Siem Reap, where Angkor Wat is located, but flights are cheap, plentiful, and safer.)

A few additional destinations nearby are Laos, where you could visit the sleepy capital of Vientiane, or the even sleepier riverside city of Luang Prabang.

That said, Vietnam deserves special mention – it’s where I’ve had many of my most exciting and interesting travel experiences in Asia, particularly on motorbiking trips.

I’ve done two on World War II-era Minsk motorbikes with Hanoi-based tour group Explore Indochina.

I did another one independently, taking the bike on a train overnight from Hanoi to Sapa, a city in the north, and riding back to Hanoi over several days. There’s no better way to see the countryside and interact with people than on two wheels.

Hanoi, the cultural capital, is especially atmospheric, with a dense downtown area full of cafes and shops. Ho Chi Minh City, the commercial hub formerly known as Saigon, is buzzing and has incredible food.

4. More Destinations: Myanmar and Borneo

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If you’re interested, now seems to be a good time to visit Myanmar. The country is largely undeveloped, and can be difficult to travel in, but began several years ago the process of political and economic reforms. That means tourism will likely pick up in the future. I haven’t been to the temples of Bagan, but I hear they are worth visiting.

Yangon, the former capital, is home to the remarkable Shwedagon Pagoda. Meanwhile the new capital, the largely deserted Naypyidaw, is increasingly drawing curious onlookers.

Consider Borneo. Travelers often forget about the gargantuan island, shared by Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei, but it’s not too far a flight from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur.

I highly recommend Gunung Mulu National Park, where you can take in a curious sight known as the bat exodus.

5. Eat Liberally

Khao soi

Street food, in most Southeast Asia locations – and certainly in Thailand – is generally safe to eat. Though you should follow the well-known rule of avoiding food that’s been sitting around for a while and aim to eat freshly cooked items. And when in doubt, don’t eat fresh vegetables that haven’t been cooked.

For Thailand eats, I suggest checking out my pal Austin Bush’s blog. He’s a longtime Bangkok-based food writer and photographer and knows a tremendous amount about the region’s cuisines, especially Thai food.

You can search his site for specific dishes or cities, and he also has an annotated food map of Bangkok on Google Maps.

I also suggest my friend Chawadee Nualkhair’s Bangkok Glutton blog.

Chaw also has a book I recommend called “Thailand’s Best Street Food,” which tackles Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai and more.

6. Disconnect

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You will likely be excited and want to show images from your travels, as soon as you capture them, via Facebook and Instagram. You may want to Tweet things.

You should not.

Wait until the trip is over to delve into your social media feeds. That way you can focus on the present and enjoy the moment. Read books or listen to music instead.

Definitely document things by taking photos and writing down your experiences, but sharing them in real-time will only divert your attention unnecessarily.

On several occasions after getting through especially frenzied periods of work in Bangkok, I decamped to Chiang Mai, where I spent a few days decompressing, enjoying novels while sitting next to the river drinking coffee (or beer).

These periods of offline reflection were always rewarding.

7. If You Must, SIM Cards and Wi-Fi are Widely Available

Smartphone

Although I advocate disconnecting while traveling for pleasure, I often like to have a local number while I’m in a different country to make calls and get mobile internet access for mapping and other uses.

SIM cards for (unlocked) smartphones are widely available in Southeast Asia. You can buy them when you arrive at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport, for example, and at most other airports in the region these days. In Thailand they are often available in 7-Elevens, as well.

Wi-Fi is also available at not just at hotels, as you’d expect, but in places like cafes and restaurants.

8. Don’t Overpack, But Bring the Right Stuff

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Yes, Southeast Asia’s climate is tropical, so you’ll want warm weather clothing like shorts and short-sleeved shirts. But keep in mind that people in cities, especially, tend to dress conservatively despite the heat, eschewing shorts for trousers and often wearing long-sleeved shirts.

My opinion: You should aim to blend in, not stick out. So save your swim suits and battered T-shirts for the beach or pool.

And a word on sandals: These generally shouldn’t be worn in cities. Some nicer bars and restaurants in many Southeast Asian cities require patrons to wear closed-toe shoes. So bring some along, and when in doubt, dress in a more respectable manner than you might assume is necessary. It’s always better to be slightly over-dressed than under-dressed.

9. Ask Friends of Friends for Advice

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Traveling years ago with my pal Matt Gross, a fantastic food and travel writer, taught me the importance of hitting up friends — and friends of friends — for travel tips.

When researching his New York Times travel stories, Matt was a master at using his vast network of contacts to suss out where to go and what to do in particular destinations.

So, before you embark on your trip:

  • Email all your friends to ask if anyone has recently been to the countries you’re considering visiting
  • Put out a call on Facebook and Twitter for advice
  • Ask everyone you know to put you in touch with people they might know who live in the places you’re targeting

The tips you get this way — from people to whom you may only be loosely connected — are often highly valuable. Of course, you’ll want to do your online research, but advice from people on the ground is always important.

10. Do Your Own Research

Flying

Reading the Lonely Planet tour guide history section for the destination you’re exploring is better than nothing, but if you’re not delving more deeply into the region’s history, you’re doing it wrong.

Some books I recommend:

Happy traveling!

Categories
HOWTO Tech

How to Send a Paperless Post Greeting Card *Later*

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TLDR: enter the name and email address and click the “add recipient” button. Then the option to send the card later will appear below.

I recently sent an online greeting card via Paperless Post.

For such a popular service, I was surprised to find myself temporarily confounded by part of the process.

After configuring the card, I wanted to set it up to send the next day.

The solution was pretty easy to figure out with some Googling, but I wanted to share it here in case others encounter similar problems.

Here’s what you have to do:

  1. First, after entering the recipient’s name and email address, click the box on the right that says “add recipient.”

    In the image above, that’s the grey box on the top right. (Maybe I was in a rush, but this wasn’t especially apparent to me. I entered the name and address, and then all I saw below was an option to send the card immediately.)

  2. Then an option appears below that says “schedule sending.” That allows you to pick the time and day and set it up for sending.

Again, maybe I was just in a hurry. But my solution would be to change the website’s setup so the “schedule sending” option visible from the very outset.

I wonder how many people abort sending, or search out another service, when it looks like the only option is to send the card straight away, perhaps as a service you have to pay for.

Categories
HOWTO Tech

The 10 Must-Have Apps I Install on Every New Mac

Following my recent post about what’s on my iPhone home screen at the beginning of 2016, I decided to do the same for my must-have Mac apps.

I consider these apps requirements when setting up any new machine — essentially, I feel that I need them to use the computer effectively.

Hopefully this will give others who are looking for new or useful apps some ideas.

1. 1Password

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1Password — my password manager of choice for many years. (This one’s also on my iPhone home screen, you’ll recall.)

Strong passwords, of course, are key to protecting yourself online. You should use a different, complex password for every important account. This can be hard, though, if you’re trying to store all this info on your head.

With a password manager like 1Password, you can remember just one strong password, which you use to open the app. Then you can automatically generate ridiculously strong passwords for every account you have within the app, and access those on the fly, no matter which device you’re using.

2. Dropbox

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Dropbox — Confession time: I once ruined a one-month-old MacBook Air by spilling a full bottle of Stella Artois beer directly on the keyboard.

It’s a long story. But, BUT! I had saved all of my important documents, images and other files in Dropbox, so I lost nothing — except money and my pride, that is.

Dropbox lets you stores your files in the cloud, so that they’re accessible on various devices.

For example, I’ve long kept many of my basic lists in plain text files, and use Dropbox to keep them synced across my Mac, my iPhone, and my work machine.

3. Chrome

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Chrome for Mac — I was a loyal users of Apple’s browser, Safari, for many years. But a while back I switched over to Chrome, which, in my experience, is faster and more reliable, even though Safari looks prettier and is obviously built for the Mac.

One caveat: Some say Chrome is more resource-intensive than Safari, meaning it will drain your battery faster.

4. TextExpander

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TextExpander — this app, which I’ve been using for many years, lets you use abbreviations for frequently used bits of text.

For example, if I type “eemail,” the app will instantly insert my personal email address. If I type “eeemail,” it will insert my work email. If I type “ddate,” it will insert “February 8, 2016,” etc.

I also have so-called snippets set up for my home and office addresses, various email signatures, and much more. It’s the kind of tool that is totally indespensible.

5. PDFpen

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PDFpen — let’s get this out of the way: at $74.95, this is not a cheap app. But the ability to manipulate PDFs by typing and writing on, and signing them, is nearly magical, and makes the app well worth the price.

I’ve used PDFPen, which is made by the same folks behind TextExpander, to fill out and send back any number of forms, applications and the like.

Forget about printing out and manipulating physical documents — you can do it all digitally with PDF Pen.

6. Evernote

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Evernote — Somewhat sadly, I hardly ever use what had been my go-to writing app since 2007: Scrivener.

I used Scrivener to write my graduate school thesis, composed hundreds of stories on it, and even used it to tackle Nanowrimo many moons ago.

The problem: While it’s great if you only ever use on computer, it’s not so great if you want to be able to work on the same documents across machines or devices. (The company behind the product has been saying for some time that they’re working on an iOS version.)

So I’ve increasingly been using Evernote — it’s designed not as a word processor, but as a catch-all for tons of different digital material, from text and images to audio and more. But you can certainly use it for writing.

7. TweetDeck

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Tweetdeck — the best way to access Twitter on your Mac. I have several columns set up so that I can access my various Twitter lists — accounts I don’t want to miss, fellow WSJ folks, notifications when people respond to or like my tweets or stories, and more.

Note that Twitter recently released a new version of its Mac app, but I’m sticking with Tweetdeck for now.

8. Spotify

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Rdio was my streaming music choice for several years, but when it shut down last year, I switched to Spotify.

I like it a lot — especially the excellent Discover Weekly feature, in which the service automatically generates a playlist of new music for you based on your listening habits.

I mostly use Spotify on my iPhone, but the app also works well on the Mac.

9. Caffeine

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Caffeine — this tiny little app does one thing and does it well: it keeps your Mac from going to sleep.

The app lives in your menu bar, and you can simply click it to keep your machine awake if you’ll be away from it from an extended amount of time, or don’t wait it to dim or go to sleep when you’re watching a movie, for example.

  • Cost: free
  • For more and #Protips: that’s all you need to know — it simply keeps your Mac awake!

10. Noizio

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Noizio — like Caffeine, this is a small app that lives in your menu bar and has a singular task: to provide background noise.

If I’m being distracted by various sounds when I’m working on my Mac, I simply throw my headphones on and choose one of Noizio’s ambient sounds — I especially like “Paris Cafe” — and work away.

  • Cost: Free.
  • For more and #Protips: that’s all you need to know — it simply provides background noise!

 

Categories
HOWTO Travel

Trip Report: Two and a Half Days in Istanbul — How to Have an Amazing Time

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A and I recently spent two and a half fantastic days in Istanbul.

We were flying to New York from Hong Kong on Turkish Airlines, and simply arranged to have a very long layover in the city.

It was a scandalously short amount of time to spend there, of course, but we had a lot of fun and were able to take in much more than I had anticipated.

With the caveat that these were simply our experiences visiting the city for the first time and others may well have better advice, here are some tips for making the most of out a short stay there.

Sleep

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We stayed at Levni Hotel, which we picked mainly because of its close proximity to sites in the old city like those listed below.

Though we often use friends’ recommendations when picking hotels, we found this one on our own, and were convinced by its many good reviews.

The rooms were tidy and ours had a nice view of the Bosphorus. The staff — especially those at the concierge desk — were extremely helpful in providing advice on navigating the city.

Another approach, when choosing hotels in Istanbul, is to stay on the Asian side of the city, which makes sense if you want to explore that area more. But we figured given the short amount of time, it was better to be in the middle of the more historical zone, on the European side.

Sightsee

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You’ll want to make the most of your time. Here’s what we took in:

  • Sultan Ahmed Mosque, known as the Blue Mosque, is strikingly beautiful.
  • Not far away is Hagia Sofia, a building with a remarkable history. I was somewhat awe-struck to be able to stand just a few feet away, for example, from the Omphalion — the very place where emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire were once crowned.
  • The Grand Bazaar is incredible: densely packed, enormous, teeming with activity.

    An excellent shop, if you’re looking for souvenirs like pestemal (towels) and soaps, is Abdullah.

  • The Spice Bazaar is also worth a visit.
  • One evening I walked from the hotel down to the Galata Bridge, where people were strolling about, fishing, and chatting. It offers a nice persepctive from which to take in the city.

Eat and Drink

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  • One evening we took a taxi to Istiklal Avenue, a long street that is blocked off for pedestrians. It’s a great place to wander around and people watch.

    I’m a sucker for views, so we went to a rooftop bar called 360 Istanbul to watch the sun go down over the city (see the image in the middle of this post). The service was…well, not great. But the vistas sure were.

  • For simple, down home Turkish fare, you might try Ficcin. It’s just off Istiklal Avenue, not far from 360 Istanbul. We sat at a table on the street, which was quite atmospheric.
  • For Turkish delight and other sweets, check out the storied Hafiz Mustafa 1864, near the Grand Bazaar, pictured above. More info here and here.
  • We had an enjoyable lunch of kebabs at Buhara Restaurant, in the old city.

Other Resources

Have fun!

Categories
HOWTO Life

Scott Adams’s Life Advice in 28 Words — and More Wisdom from the Creator of Dilbert

Think of your life as a system. Think of yourself as the most important part of the system. Be useful. And make yourself more valuable as you go.

The quote above comes from Scott Adams, creator of the comic strip Dilbert, during his recent appearance on Tim Ferriss’s podcast*.

Very much worth listening to.

Here’s more from Adams on goals vs. systems.

Other stuff from Adams’s I’ve linked to in the past:

  • Happiness Engineering
  • How to Get a Real Education
  • And you should definitely check out his extremely simply advice on personal finance:

    — Make a will.
    — Pay off your credit card balance.
    — Get term life insurance if you have a family to support.
    — Fund your company 401K to the maximum.
    — Fund your IRA to the maximum.
    — Buy a house if you want to live in a house and can afford it.
    — Put six months’ expenses in a money market account.
    — Take whatever is left over and invest it 70 percent in a stock index fund and 30 percent in a bond fund through any discount brokerage company and never touch it until retirement
    — If any of this confuses you, or you have something special going on (retirement, college planning, tax issue), hire a fee-based financial planner, not one who charges you a percentage of your portfolio.

    * I am not a regular listener of Ferriss’s podcast, but I see that he has interviewed some interesting folks.

    Categories
    HOWTO Tech

    Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Taking Selfies But Were Afraid to Ask

    2015 09 16 selfies

    Aanand Prasad, pictured above, has written an amusing — and exhaustive — guide to taking selfies:

    Do you ever hate how you look in photos taken by other people? That’s because other people have no clue how to make you look good. But you can very easily learn how.

    Selfies have been a positive force in my life ever since I came across the wonderful #dudetime and its gently radical flipping of the default male gaze. If you think selfies are bad for any reason, I don’t want to know. I suggest getting in a bin and sharing your bad opinions with the other trash.

    The target audience is straight dudes, but there are tips in here for everyone. He covers topics like lighting, camera angles, facial expressions, backgrounds, composition, and more.

    Fun stuff.

    Categories
    Bangkok HOWTO Thailand

    Bangkok Bombings: Latest Updates and How to Follow the News

    2015 08 19bkkbomb

    A and I returned to Singapore Monday morning after a couple of weeks of traveling. Then that evening came the sad news about the bombings in Bangkok.

    From our latest WSJ story:

    Thai police said they were homing in on a suspect seen in security-camera footage of the bomb blast that killed at least 20 people, most of them foreign tourists, in the Thai capital.

    A second explosive device on Tuesday was thrown from a bridge over Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River. The bomb narrowly missed a busy pier where commuters waited for taxi boats, falling into the river where it exploded. No one was injured.

    The blast, which threw a column of water into the air, deepened the sense of unease in a city where many commuters chose to stay at home and some tourists avoided the usually bustling malls and temples of downtown Bangkok.

    The Economist has more on the context:

    Low-level political violence is not uncommon in Thailand—which is riven by a kind of class war in which two military coups have succeeded in less than ten years—but the attack on August 17th was unprecedented in scale. The blast, caused by a pipe stuffed with TNT, did only relatively moderate damage to the shrine itself and the buildings that surround it. But timed to explode during the evening rush hour, and positioned at an intersection often packed with shoppers and tourists, it was designed to kill and maim a maximal number of bystanders. The dead included visitors from China, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines. A young girl was among the injured.

    Meanwhile, this dash cam footage shows the force of the Erawan Shrine bomb:

    วินาทีระเบิดที่แยกราชประสงค์ วันที่ 17 สิงหาคม 2015 ภาพจากกล้องในรถผมครับ

    Posted by Pimornrat Nana Puttayot on Monday, August 17, 2015

    Quartz has a roundup of pics and videos.

    For ongoing updates, here’s my public Twitter list of more than 100 media people in Bangkok and elsewhere in Thailand.

    I especially recommend longtime Thailand blogger Richard Barrow, who frequently tweets information of interest to tourists and others in the city.

    Categories
    HOWTO

    How to Spell My Name, According to Starbucks Baristas Across Southeast Asia

    I love coffee.

    I have a weird name.

    And I live in Singapore and travel regularly in Southeast Asia.

    That’s a recipe for some serious Starbucks barista mixups!

    Herewith, a collection of misspellings of my name from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and more locations over the last year.

    Thumb IMG 0721 1024

    This one’s from Kuala Lumpur.

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    Can’t remember the location of this one.

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    This one’s from Jakarta.

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    Singapore, I think.

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    This one’s also from KL.

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    Another one from Singapore.

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    And another from Singapore, I think. This one’s pretty close, and completely logical.

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    Can’t remember where this one’s from. But it’s certainly phonetically accurate.

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    This one’s from Manila

    Life would be so boring if my name were James or John.

    Categories
    HOWTO

    I’m in the Philippines Helping Cover Typhoon Hagupit/Ruby — Here’s How to Follow My Dispatches

    I arrived in Manila early this morning; the weather has remained calm here.

    Here’s our latest story, just up:

    Typhoon Hagupit made landfall late Saturday, with its eye passing over the town of Dolores in the coastal area of Eastern Samar, a central Philippine province that has yet to fully recover from the devastation wrought last year by supertyphoon Haiyan.

    It was too early to know the extent of damage to Dolores.

    “It’s now in God’s hands,” Interior and Local Governments Secretary Manuel Roxas II, who is in Eastern Samar’s capital of Borongan City to oversee disaster response actions, told a radio station earlier about what is ahead for the Philippines.

    The typhoon, locally referred to as Ruby, has days to make its might felt, as it moves up from the midsection to provinces just south of Manila.

    For images and other dispatches, follow me on Twitter; I posted some photos from the city today.

    You can also subscribe to my public Facebook updates.

    Stay tuned.