Many people have reached out with questions about the conflict with the Rohingya and what is has been like living in Myanmar during such a heightened conflict. I am writing about my experiences and perceptions of the issue. That being said, I am in no way an expert and much of what I write about … More Recent Rohingya Conflict-My Experience Living in Myanmar
During my week in Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur, I was pretty surprised by the explicit anti-Muslim sentiment that I encountered. I’m just going to list some observations I made and statements I heard (denoted with quotes although they may not be direct quotes given that they’re written from memory): “Don’t take a tuk tuk, they’re … More Perceived Anti-Muslim Sentiment in India
Before visiting New Delhi, people try to describe the chaotic, populous city, but one cannot grasp New Delhi until they’ve actually visited. It’s a unique, extremely busy city divided between the Old Delhi where people live in extreme poverty and the New Delhi with elegant buildings and shops. The city lacks any skyscraper buildings and … More New Delhi
Jaipur is part of the tourist “golden triangle” which also includes New Delhi and Agra. All the buildings in the inner, old city are terracotta pink hence the nickname The Pink City. In fact, a law passed in 1877 and still in existence today makes it illegal for buildings within the old city to be … More Jaipur-The Pink City
I had to see the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Halong Bay when I was in Northern Vietnam. Unfortunately, the only way to cruise around all the islands and grottoes is through a tourist company tour. So, I decided to take part in an aspect of tourism that I don’t like in order to see … More Halong Bay
Driving into the city center from the airport, I noticed the skyscrapers making up the cityscape of Ho Chi Minh City. Coming from Hanoi, which mostly has buildings up to 4 stories, the skyscrapers gave the city an almost western feel. The commotion of the city reveals that this is a much larger city than … More Ho Chi Minh City Aka Saigon
One of the first things I saw in Hanoi was the Old Quarter. The Old Quarter has tiny, narrow streets filled with shops and people. Shockingly for me, there were a lot of tourists. I hadn’t been near so many western people in a while, and it was a strange feeling. While the Old Quarter … More Hanoi-A True Capital
Vientiane has a small, almost beach town feel. It’s clear that many of the shops, bars, and restaurants cater to tourists, leaving the city to feel like it’s lacking character and culture. In many touristy cities, locals may feel bitter to or agitated by the tourists, but this was not my experience in Vientiane. People … More Vientiane in 48 Hours
I was staying in Delhi, so I took the 8am train from Delhi and the 5:50pm train back to Delhi. I got the train tickets the day before at the New Delhi Train Station. It took me a while to figure out where the tourist office was because helpful, accurate signage isn’t very prevalent in … More Day Trip to Agra-Land of Mughal Emperors’ Tombs
When preparing to move to Yangon, I knew there would be many cultural differences between Myanmar and the United States. Since I had studied abroad in Myanmar, I felt that I was somewhat aware of these differences and knew how to adjust and prepare for them. One thing, though, has really proven challenging for me: … More Adjusting to Norms in a Public Space
