How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization
Author: Franklin Foer
Who knew you could learn so much about globalization, economics and politics from soccer? Great read.
Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity
Author: Julia Cameron
One possible path to re-discovering the creativity you never knew you had.
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, New Edition
Author: Jared Diamond
An admirable crack at explaining why the world is the way it is by way of an anthropological macro-history. This book probably comes up the most in conversation as we travel.
The Cathedral Within: Transforming Your Life by Giving Something Back
Author: Bill Shore
Inspiring profiles of social entrepreneurs and projects we all can learn from and hopefully replicate to give back to community.
Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation
Author: John Carlin
Although the storyline is built around the South African rugby team and the 1995 World Cup, this book is more about Nelson Mandela and how he was able to unite a divided country. Inspiring.
Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Capetown
Author: Paul Theroux
The author re-visits Africa and re-assesses the place he once knew... and judges it once and for all. Well written, poignant observations of the thumbprints left by career politicians, aid workers, and everyday people.
Outliers: The Story of Success
Author: Malcolm Gladwell
A look at the internal and external factors of how extraordinary people got to be, well, extraordinary. One of those books that challenges assumptions and makes you think differently.
Shantaram: A Novel
Author: Gregory David Roberts
Administering first aid in a Bombay slum, selling fake passports and running guns to the Mujahideen in Afghanistan. Technically a novel, but closely linked to the Author's own experiences. Fantastic read.
As we prepare for our departure to Guatemala and secure the various latches on our gear, I’m reminded of being robbed by airport security employees in Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport last year. Fortunately, miraculously – and somewhat shadily – I was reimbursed. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Southeast Asia, Thailand, Travel by: Daniel Noll
20 Comments | 9 March 2009
“If you were stranded on a desert island and could choose only one cuisine for the rest of your days, which would it be?”
Have you ever considered this? The thought of choosing just one cuisine for the rest of our days makes us break out in sweats.
But change that question to: “What’s your favorite place for street food?”
Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Food, Photography, Thailand by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
12 Comments | 8 March 2009
Perhaps you’d like to know what happened after I was robbed at Bangkok Airport security last month. Well, the saga continued with more “investigations” and a mysterious wire transfer. Transparency is not the first word that comes to mind. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Perspectives, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Travel by: Daniel Noll
25 Comments | 27 February 2008
If I were ever tortured, my captors would break me by playing the morning music from the elementary school next door.
– Dan, after the fifth straight day of waking up at 7:15 AM to enjoy a 45-minute syrupy Thai musical loop resembling “It’s a Small World After All” followed by a live, 15-minute booming drum and bass cadence used to drive a herd of students to their seats. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Southeast Asia, Thailand, Travel by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
6 Comments | 20 February 2008
I was robbed.
It didn’t happen at a grungy guest house, in a crowded local market, or down a dark alleyway at night. It happened in Bangkok’s shiny new Suvarnabhumi Airport at a gate security checkpoint. Worse yet, the thief was a security employee. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Perspectives, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Travel by: Daniel Noll
59 Comments | 6 February 2008
Early on New Year’s Eve, before the festivities began, we dropped by a local cafe in order to perform our annual year-end ritual of reflection and looking forward. Although the specific exercises have evolved, the objective of our ritual remains the same – reflect on the past year and determine themes for the year ahead. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Personal Growth, Southeast Asia, Thailand by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
3 Comments | 1 January 2008
This is great! I’m getting kisses from random gender benders.
– Audrey, on our 2008 New Year’s Eve night out in Bangkok.
Last night, we found ourselves welcoming in the New Year in true Bangkok style – with a band, a late night street food nosh, and a swamp of kisses from a horde of Bangkok’s third genders. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Southeast Asia, Thailand, Travel, Videos by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
6 Comments | 1 January 2008
By way of a Buddhist festival that we stumbled upon in Bangkok, we found some fitting wishes and words of wisdom for the new year. In the festival pamphlet, designed very much for locals with a nod to us non-Thai speakers, we discovered a list of wishes and matching offerings for each of the nine participating wats (temples). From this list, we inferred something rather noteworthy. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Perspectives, Southeast Asia, Thailand by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
3 Comments | 31 December 2007
That’s Christmas in Bangkok to you and me. Krung Thep (City of Angels) is the Thai name for Bangkok, Thailand – the location from which we happen to be writing this post.
We first imagined this post being entitled Wishing You a Very Chinese Christmas, but a quick decision five days ago altered our trajectory and landed us in sunny Bangkok instead. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Motley Mots, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Travel by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
4 Comments | 25 December 2007
As we write this, we are in Tbilisi, Georgia and about to head to Armenia. But just after spending almost five months in Southeast Asia and releasing our site, we find that we’re being asked “what was your favorite ______ in Southeast Asia?”
Here is our attempt to answer those questions, preempt a few others, and provide an overview of our experience. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Cambodia, Laos, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Travel, Vietnam by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
6 Comments | 26 June 2007
