Review: An evocative mystery set in Japan, Rainbirds is the impressive debut novel from Clarissa Goenawan, an Indonesian-born Singaporean. Part thriller, part coming-of-age tale, Rainbirds takes the reader on a mesmerising journey of self-discovery and love in its different forms.
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In Yangon, one artist and his family are helping to save the country’s marionette heritage through education and staging puppet shows in their living room.
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Is the one that you have with you, be it in your hands, around your neck, or in your pocket. I firmly believe that tools do not make a craftsman. A camera is a tool, a means to an end – to capture an image or present an idea envisioned by the person behind the…
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During our brief sojourn in Higashi-Yoshino, we took leisurely walks by the river, passed a waterfall and ancient shrines, climbed over many moss-covered stones, weaved amongst skinny tall trees, and listened to riotous symphonies by unknown insects.
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Once in a blue moon, I would select my next travel destination because of an unusual or exceptional lodging in the area. This has brought me to places that I had not heard of before; the mountainous village of Higashi-Yoshino 東吉野村 in Japan’s Nara Prefecture is one example. I was looking for a place to stay…
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Lush greenery, lots of natural light, and uncluttered space with clean lines are some of the features that I’d like to have for my future home. What about you?
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Review: Granta’s “Going Back” (issue 111) revolves around memories – of one’s hometown, a former home, an ex-lover or friend, an idea once closely held. Some of the works are fictional while others are autobiographical. In this issue, there are several gems that I could go back time and again to read and not get tired of.
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Summer is the best time to view flowers in full bloom in the towns of Furano and Biei in central Hokkaido. Hopping from one farm to another, you will be surrounded by lavender, sunflower, poppy, salvia, cosmos, Japanese rose, and more.
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Located within the Shikotsu-Toya National Park, Noboribetsu 登別 is the largest onsen in Hokkaido and one of the most well known hot spring resorts in Japan. The source of the town’s fortunes comes from Jigoku-dani 地獄谷 – also known as “Valley of Hell”, a massive geothermal crater formed following the eruption of Mount Kuttara some…
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