c/o asia

We are proud to announce the new website of Point of view: www.point-view.net Point of view has grown to a community of seven active members from different parts of the world. A year after the birth of the weblog, they have built up an archive of around 110 articles on art, design, culture and politics. The authors at the blog write on the tacit knowledge, backgrounds, research and interests ...

We had dinner with some friends tonight. In the group of people we were one Italian, two Thais and two Swedes. We had pizza. The best pizza in Bangkok actually. We came to talk about Burma, the disaster with the cyclone. Dr Joe had some colleges that had gone to volunteer for the Red Cross. We said that it is difficult for anyone to say how many people have really ...

There are some extra tough times in Asia these days. Cyclone in Burma and earthquake in China. Thousands and thousands of people are dead. Even more are homeless. Millions could be without drinking water, not to mention proper food. Helpers recommended by the UN can't get visa to enter Burma. Are media in general covering Burma if there is not a monk uproar or a cyclone? Could there be more coverage ...

It has been a while and I think that maybe I just write here when I get upset about Asia, Thailand, Asians or Thais. I will try to change that, but this one I have to tell you about. There is a petition in Thailand that is waiting to be signed by "the government" saying that all students in international schools in Thailand have to be able to read, ...

When you find a hotel in Thailand it is very often nicely designed, maybe you find it on the Internet and the pictures are fantastic, the view from the rooms breathtaking. The hotel or resort is located on an exotic tropical island. The price is fairly high, but it is your weekend off and away so you figure it is worth it, it will only be three nights anyway. You ...

I was wrong about the alphabet. Malaysia has always used the western alphabet. They never had any strange letters, like Cambodia or Thailand do, or China for that matter. I was told that it probably had a lot to do with the English having colonized the country for about 50 years. But that does not really make sense though, 50 years is not a long period of time, you ...

But I realize that what I first thought would be comforting, seeing the western alphabet actually makes me more tired. Now I try to read everything I see, everything. Signs on the street, subtitles on the movies on TV as well as menus. I think I have an idea but then Bam! Wham! No, not a clue. What does this mean? It means that I get extremely exhausted. I get ...

I just arrived in Malaysia for the first time. Malaysia i similar to other countries in the region but also a whole lot different. They are muslims, most of them, even though I have seen a lot of catholic churches as well. They are friendly, the people I have talked to speak quite good english and the local food is good. One thing that is very different from lets say ...

Sometimes I wonder if Thailand is for real or if it is just a country that should not have any contact with the outside world, because Thailand and other countries are not functioning in the same way at all. Major multinational companies sometimes open up a branch here, but it is not really for real, they don't send the same team the do if they were to open in ...

I found this lovely coffee shop the other day. "Hundred Children" it is called. Here you can get coffe (all kinds), tea (a wide variety), cakes (an even wider variety) and furniture. Yes you heard me, furniture. Genuine Chinese furniture - how genuine that can be. They do call it "inspired Chinese" furniture though, I should say. But what's interesting is that you go in to dring some teaand you might ...