Pre Christmas
From last night’s wonderful pre-Christmas dinner hosted by our friends Alexandra, Pär and Minona. Great to catch up since we last got together at their summer place for Midsummer.
Entries by admin
NEW BOOK: NEW YORK CITY
During the fall’s “workcation” in Asia, I was kept busy with a couple of different book projects. The first book was completed while we were in Tokyo and is my tribute to New York City which I’ve had the amazing privilege of visiting regularly for close to four decades, for both work and pleasure. The […]
The Chao Phraya River & Thoughts for 2024
Here’s the majestic Chao Phraya River as seen from the terrace in front of the Apple Store at Icon Siam in Bangkok. Never underestimate a spectacular view. Although I have ingested the hundreds of film clips and thousands of still images from our three months in Asia, I can’t seem to find the time, energy, […]
Re-Wiring
I am adjusting from being enveloped in color to being submerged in a sea of grey. From feeling humid heat warm my skin to protecting it from a dry, windy cold. I see expressionlessness and frowns where I just a few days ago was met with genuine smiles and curiosity. At the sports center this […]
Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK): Parting Shots, and Thoughts.
I find myself sitting in a plush armchair deep within the vast expanse of Suvarnabhumi Airport’s grand lounge, nursing a meticulously crafted Bloody Mary that might be just a tad too potent, even for my taste. Contemplating whether to replenish my plate with more of the delectable Thai dishes artfully arranged on the extensive buffet […]
Traveling with Rinvoq
Bangkok. Wednesday. Evening. Thankful. Three months, three countries, six cities, 12 different hotels, and 93 tablets – yes, this year’s adventure in Asia is coming to a close. We’ve been working as usual, probably even more than usual. Yet, not having to think about most of life’s mundane routines has certainly been refreshing. When not […]
Spice Street along Song Wat Road
This shot is from a section of Song Wat Road that has dozens of small warehouses filled with spices, herbs and dried foodstuff. From what I gathered after talking to a kind lady that worked in the wholesale shop with the above raw cinnamon sticks, most of what’s stored and later distributed along Song Wat […]
Misty Bangkok Morning
Here’s the view from our hotel room’s balcony this morning. Once the sun had risen above the horizon, a morning mist saturated the other side of the river, as seen above. After close to an hour with both cardio and weight lifting in the hotel’s gym, we had breakfast. Charlotte and I then took the […]
Laundry and Shrimp Cakes
Bangkok. Saturday. Evening. Weary. While Charlotte worked at a design center on the other side of the Chao Phraya River, I languidly lingered at our Thonburi hotel, casually attending to tasks like handwashing dirty laundry and curating clips for a short film about a bustling Western metropolis. As the shirts, underwear, and shorts dried on […]
Old Bangkok
I have no problem embracing new stuff or appreciating the modernization of places I’ve once fallen in love with. Today’s Bangkok is way different from when I took my very first weary walk along Surawong Road after checking into the Fuji Hotel back in 1988. And the Los Angeles I grew up in during the […]
Soggy Shoes, Cheese Doodles & Christmas Muzak
Bangkok. Friday. Evening. Cheese Doodles. Today I went too far. My damp shoes didn’t dry properly, and now both they and my feet stink. A robust scent reminiscent of Cheese Doodles permeates my life right now. I’m airing the shoes on the balcony, wondering if our neighbors in the next room make the same smell […]
Keep it Simple: Ordinary People & Delicious Food
In most of my interactions, regardless of circumstance, I always try to find common ground. My “philosophy,” if I can be allowed to call it that, is elegantly simple: everyone, without exception, has a story worth telling. And if those I engage in conversation with are willing to shed their guardedness and generously offer me […]
Leaving Sukhumvit and Delicious Street Food
Last night marked our farewell feast at the street kitchen beneath the Phrom Phong Skytrain station: wok-fried chili shrimp in coconut milk, small deep-fried fish pancakes in red curry, Pad Thai tofu, a portion of plain boiled white rice, and a couple of ice-filled glasses brimming with cold Chang beer. Throughout this journey, we’ve indulged […]
Bus Adventure in Malaysia
A long while back, I sat half asleep on a shaky night bus somewhere in the midst of Malaysia. I had been in Singapore for a few days to renew my visa for Thailand and was heading back north with Bangkok as my final destination. At some point that night, the bus turned off the […]
The Heavy Metal Juggler
Yesterday, Charlotte and I explored the trendy neighborhood of Song Wat which sits between Talat Noi/Sieng Gong and Chinatown proper. While there, we walked by the intersection where the cover of my book Heavy Metal in Talat Noi was captured and the temptation to take out my colorful balls and juggle just overwhelmed me…
Humidity & Chili Sweaty
It’s the humidity that gets you in Bangkok. Not the exhausts. Not the sun. So it’s the relatively low humidity that makes December such a pleasant month to visit the Thai capital. Last night, after a full 16k day of walking in and out of malls, jostling with fellow riders in the Skytrain and a […]
Back in Benjasiri
Bangkok. Friday. Evening. Cool (relatively). I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many down vests, knitted hats, and overcoats along Sukhumvit Road as I did this morning. It was 24 degrees Celsius outside, and several Thais I encountered seemed to be shivering and freezing. Despite a couple of visits to bars last night, I woke […]
Naha Airport Okinawa (OKA)
Captured this just as we were about to board our flight to Osaka yesterday morning at Naha Airport in Okinawa. The cabin crew were genuinely happy when we handed them our flyer for Charlotte’s popular airline website www.airlinestaffrates.com Flying southwest today.
Jamming at Jam & Relaxing Times in Japan
Meanwhile, in Osaka… Japan. Evening. Sayonara. Just a little while ago I was sipping on a glass of Suntory Soda in our hotel room’s small bathtub. Lying there, I was contemplating our trip how much fun we’d had and all the great food we’d enjoyed. Clearly the most enjoyable trip to Japan so far. And […]
Huge Resorts vs Boutique Hotels
HereFrom a facility perspective, there are definitely more benefits than drawbacks of staying at a huge resort. Most resorts have at least one pool, a sizable gym and offer a decent breakfast buffet. On the other hand, these larger places tend to make you feel like you’re in a holiday factory, one of numerous anonymous […]
Trollhättan. Grandpa & Godzilla
It sounds strange, but when I’m in Tokyo, I think about Trollhättan, the city where SAAB cars were once made and where I spent formative time with my grandparents as a youngster. Let me explain. For about a year, sometime in the early 1970s, I lived with my grandparents Eskil and Agnes Andersson on Örtagårdsvägen […]
Last Sunset in Naha Okinawa
Okinawa. Thursday. Evening. Joyess. It’s our last evening in Naha. Tomorrow we head to Moon Beach in northern Okinawa. I will probably miss our amazing corner room (#912) at this hotel more than Naha itself. I must remind myself always to request a corner room in the future. Strata Hotel is the 22nd or 23rd […]
The Mazemen Maharoba Noodle Experience
After some deliberation and exploring other options, we finally decided to have dinner last night at a place about a block from bustling Kokusai Street (the main tourist street here in Naha) and close to our hotel called Mazemen Mahoroba. From the moment we stepped into this small, rustic place, I immediately noticed that the […]
Juggling in Tokyo
Here are a few clips that Charlotte helped me film around Tokyo as I continue the surprisingly steep learning curve of juggling three balls. We’re now in Okinawa, the main island in the south of Japan where the weather and temperature are most comfortable. Should be able to manage a few juggling sessions here as […]
Mount Fuji & Enoshima
Tokyo. Japan. Evening. Dark (again). I’m writing this from a minimalist folding table at one end of our tiny but brilliantly designed hotel room. A half-eaten, triangular-shaped egg and tuna sandwich lies untouched on the right side of the computer’s slightly crumbly keyboard. I just bought the aforementioned, beautifully packaged sandwich at our nearest Lawson […]
Delightful Day in Tokyo
Here are a few shots from yesterday’s terrific experiences in Tokyo. We had cool and mostly sunny weather as we traversed this great city, revisiting some old favorites and discovering a few totally new places. Spent most of the afternoon in Kappabashi, probably my favorite street in all of Asia with its restaurant supply stores […]
The Incredibly Delicious Lawson Egg Salad Sandwich in Tokyo
We arrived early this morning at Narita International Airport outside of Tokyo, Japan. Since the Vietjet night flight from Saigon/HCMC wasn’t full, both Charlotte and I were able to grab and sleep (fetal position) in a three-seat space. After checking in at our hotel and getting over the fact that our room is just marginally […]
Smiles of Asia
Here’s one of my favorite street portraits from Vietnam. When I think of Asia, especially Southeast Asia, which I have been visiting regularly since 1988, I think of how often one is greeted with an infectious smile here. The street life, with its pungent smells, the deafening cacophony of relentless traffic and the dense population, […]
Ho Chi Minh City
Here’s a timelapse I compiled from clips mostly taken from our hotel room. Traffic in Ho Chi Minh City is intense. It’s fluid, though. Coming from the relative calm of Da Nang, it takes some time to get used to. Crossing major streets and boulevards is an endeavor with very little wiggle room for hesitation. […]
Ben Thanh Market
Just back from Afternoon Tea on the 12th floor. We’ve now switched hotels and districts in Ho Chi Minh City. I’m glad to be in Downtown now. It’s busier here, but also more interesting than in the quieter Thao Dien neighborhood. From one of the windows in our new room on the seventh floor of […]
Elle’s 23rd!
Tuesday. Evening. Saigon. Grateful. Today is our daughter Elle’s 23rd birthday, and because I’m a sensitive dude, I always become a bit more sentimental on November 7th. When I think about how privileged I am to have such a wonderful individual in my life, which in itself is proof that I didn’t completely fail as […]
Ho Chi Minh City
Here’s a view of Ho Chi Minh City and the colorfully lit skyscraper, Landmark 81 to the right. We’re staying a night at a sparsely furnished “aparthotel” near the Saigon River and moving to a proper hotel tomorrow in Thao Dien (District 2). Humidity here in southern Vietnam feels like it’s off the charts, at […]
Giant Jellyfish
Saturday. Evening. Da Nang. Dark. Just like last weekend, Charlotte and I took a 10k walk on the beach on this beautifully sunny Saturday. We saw a gigantic jellyfish that had washed up on the shore. It literally lay there like a huge blob of jelly. Tried to feel sorry for it, but couldn’t. I […]
Bars, Juggling & Dry Vegan Food
Wednesday. Evening. Da Nang. Content. Woke up reasonably well-rested this morning. Brushed my teeth, got dressed, and stumbled out of the hotel, slowly making my way to the gym seven, eight blocks westward. Along the way, I passed a couple of bars that were still open. Some of the patrons looked to be my age. […]