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Author: Shawn Smith

New Zealand, photos Posted onNovember 25, 2008September 10, 2021

View from Key Summit

I’ve started to post pictures from my New Zealand trip to my Flickr account. The first set is a 360° view from the top of […] Read More

New Zealand Posted onNovember 24, 2008September 10, 2021

Back on the grid

Two weeks in New Zealand and only one blog post? And kind of a terrible one at that. Several points in my defense (defence, in […] Read More

New Zealand Posted onNovember 10, 2008September 10, 2021

Auckland so far

One problem with living in a city like San Francisco is that it’s hard for other small cities to compete. For its size, San Francisco […] Read More

culture, miscellany Posted onJuly 5, 2008September 10, 2021

Before you give up on the human race…

Lots and lots of people have passed this video around, but it puts a giant, ridiculous grin on my face everytime I watch it. This […] Read More

Europe, photos Posted onJune 13, 2008September 10, 2021

Celebrity Sighting

OK, not that big a deal I guess, but I saw Ric Ocasek near Dam Square today and snapped a couple pictures with my iPhone…

San Francisco Posted onMay 29, 2008September 10, 2021

Ripple effect

It’s one of those mornings. As I was getting dressed, I checked the Internetz to see when the next 9 or 19 buses were coming, […] Read More

miscellany Posted onDecember 5, 2007September 10, 2021

Microsoft made me miss my bus

I spent several hours on Friday unsuccessfully trying to install Parallels and then Windows XP on my Macbook Pro. I was able to get it […] Read More

San Francisco Posted onDecember 4, 2007September 10, 2021

sorry officer

Today on my way home from work, walking a couple of blocks in a bad part of town, I craned to see whether my bus […] Read More

Thailand Posted onNovember 27, 2005September 10, 2021

thailand pictures and final word

I finally posted my pictures from the Khao Lak trip. Enjoy. My last post from Thailand was somewhat cynical, and I owe this blog a […] Read More

Thailand Posted onNovember 9, 2005September 10, 2021

habitat thailand: day three

Today I started to question this whole gig. It feels more than a little strange in a country where labor is cheap to have paid […] Read More

Thailand Posted onNovember 7, 2005September 10, 2021

habitat thailand: day one

Tonight I went to see some sort of celebration. It was no big production, and it wasn’t all that interesting, but the vibe was good. […] Read More

Thailand Posted onNovember 6, 2005September 10, 2021

habitat thailand: day zero

It’s a cloudy Sunday afternoon here, relatively cool. I woke up very early this morning, tossed and turned in the pitch darkness for a while, […] Read More

Thailand Posted onNovember 4, 2005September 10, 2021

asia again

I’m in the Bangkok airport right now, with a couple hours to kill. Friends have asked me whether this trip is for business or pleasure, […] Read More

getting there Posted onSeptember 1, 2005September 10, 2021

[ex-]lax plaza

As I mentioned previously, I’ve been working in LA. My hotel, the LAX Plaza, is across the street from our office, and our office is […] Read More

San Francisco Posted onAugust 26, 2005September 10, 2021

on the road again

My job has me traveling again already. This time it’s just to LA for a short project, so I can come home on the weekends. […] Read More

business Posted onAugust 15, 2005September 10, 2021

perfect location

I had brunch at The Ramp this morning with my friend Bee. The Ramp has been my default Sunday post-laundromat stop for the past couple […] Read More

Singapore Posted onAugust 2, 2005September 10, 2021

partnership of pain

To kill the best part of an hour at Changi Airport, I went for a foot massage. That, incidentally, is another thing I’ll miss about […] Read More

Singapore Posted onAugust 1, 2005September 9, 2021

goodbye for now, redux

For the past few days, I’ve taken every opportunity to tell people here that I’ve been in their country for close to a year, and […] Read More

Singapore Posted onAugust 1, 2005September 9, 2021

customer service

Soon after I arrived in Singapore last October, the Straits Times ran a series on customer service in Singapore. The paper’s assessment was pretty grim. […] Read More

Singapore Posted onJuly 31, 2005September 9, 2021

hotel transit

I had to check out of Fraser Suites this morning, even though I’m not leaving Singapore until tomorrow. After staying there for nine months (minus […] Read More

Singapore Posted onJuly 30, 2005September 9, 2021

j-girl

She was walking a few steps ahead of me, on the the way back to the hotel from the market on the ground floor. I’d […] Read More

Singapore Posted onJuly 26, 2005September 9, 2021

marwan

I recently went to see a fortune teller named Marwan. Three of my colleagues visited him the week before me, on a referral from our […] Read More

Singapore Posted onJuly 24, 2005September 9, 2021

lazy (not) sunday

You know your work has gone to a bad place when you feel guilty for working only a half day… on a Sunday. Which is […] Read More

Bali Posted onJuly 13, 2005September 9, 2021

padang bai

I jetted off to Bali over the weekend to visit my sister (who’s there for a month with her husband and their four kids) and […] Read More

Singapore Posted onJuly 6, 2005September 9, 2021

crazy raymond

Raymond Seet, our dive instructor, is the Singapore embodiment of a “dude” – dark-skinned and constantly grinning, with the kind of impressively wild hairstyle that […] Read More

Singapore Posted onJuly 4, 2005September 9, 2021

open water, day one

Last Friday, eleven of us packed ourselves and our dive equipment into Raymond’s small van and headed off to Malaysia for the weekend. Our mission […] Read More

Singapore Posted onJuly 1, 2005September 9, 2021

open water, prologue

A while back, I met a woman named Sharon at a bar. I have to say, I have no memory of what she looks like. […] Read More

Singapore Posted onJune 28, 2005September 9, 2021

dive buddy

For this weekend’s trip to Malaysia, I’ll be joined by a few of my colleagues and a couple of their girlfriends. That’s a story in […] Read More

Singapore Posted onJune 13, 2005September 9, 2021

get a life

At the Mexican dinner on Saturday night, I spent some time playing catch with James, the five-year-old son of my colleague Judy. He asked me […] Read More

Singapore Posted onJune 12, 2005September 9, 2021

smitty’s cantina

My first meal in California after six months in Singapore was Mexican food. So was my next meal, and my next. So, when I was […] Read More

Singapore Posted onJune 11, 2005September 9, 2021

chopsticks and men who cook

It’s amazing how often I get comments here about my chopsticks technique, or the fact I don’t mind chili sauce. Even my Singaporean colleagues who’ve […] Read More

Singapore Posted onJune 9, 2005September 9, 2021

more on doors, etc.

A few months ago, my colleague Crystal declared that one of the first things she will do after she returns to the US is go […] Read More

Singapore Posted onJune 6, 2005September 9, 2021

singapore redux

I’m back in Singapore. It’s good to see my incredibly hardworking colleagues, and it’s been nice to begin to reconnect with my Singapore friends. I […] Read More

China Posted onMay 31, 2005September 9, 2021

china world

At the start of 2001, the twin towers stood confidently in lower Manhattan, Iraq was languishing in the back of the news pages (Afganistan was […] Read More

San Francisco Posted onMay 23, 2005September 9, 2021

san francisco international arts festival

Last week was the first week of the San Francisco International Arts Festival, and there are a lot of good things to see. I saw […] Read More

San Francisco Posted onMay 15, 2005September 9, 2021

discovery

Since I’ve been back in San Francisco, I’ve completely neglected my blog. One posting every two or three weeks is not what I’m aiming for. […] Read More

Singapore Posted onMay 2, 2005September 9, 2021

city of irony

I’ve been back in San Francisco for more than a week now. I’ve mainly been reconnecting with friends, eating a lot of Mexican food and […] Read More

Singapore Posted onApril 21, 2005September 9, 2021

goodbye for now

I’m leaving today. I’ve packed up my humble home of six months, and I’m ready to board my flight back to San Francisco. I have […] Read More

Vietnam Posted onApril 18, 2005September 9, 2021

no record

I lost my camera somehow. As I left my hotel in Hoi An, I peeked into my carry-on bag to make sure I had my […] Read More

Vietnam Posted onApril 15, 2005September 9, 2021

fishing and driving

On my last full day in Hoi An, I went fishing on the river with Dao’s father. Dao was there with her sister and cousin, […] Read More

Vietnam Posted onApril 14, 2005September 9, 2021

coffee & tea

By sheer coincidence, I bumped into Anh last night. He’s the old man who drove me around Hoi An and the surrounding villages during my […] Read More

Vietnam Posted onApril 13, 2005September 9, 2021

sugarcane

I woke up feeling pretty poorly today. I’m still shaking something off from last week, and mornings are the worst. Last night I had a […] Read More

Vietnam Posted onApril 13, 2005September 9, 2021

i joking you

On my way back from the beach on Muoi’s motorbike yesterday, she stopped about a kilometer from my hotel and asked, “you walk from here?” […] Read More

Vietnam Posted onApril 12, 2005September 9, 2021

lazy days in hoi an

Yesterday, before I went to the beach – and after – I was somewhat apprehensive about spending four lazy days in Hoi An. My friend […] Read More

Vietnam Posted onApril 12, 2005September 9, 2021

beach commerce

I spent most of yesterday at Cua Dai beach – reading, dozing, fending off vendors. The vendors have a captive audience at the beach, so […] Read More

Vietnam Posted onApril 11, 2005September 9, 2021

nguyen ha van

I spent most of my one full day in Hanoi with Van. My original plan was to look at some paintings, with the hope of […] Read More

Vietnam Posted onApril 9, 2005September 9, 2021

angel’s eye view

This morning my Malay friend Elena, whom I met in Hanoi, called me while I was waiting for my ramen to cool at the Lucky […] Read More

Singapore Posted onApril 9, 2005September 9, 2021

starcrossed saturday

I woke up feeling a little under the weather today. I think it’s mainly a result of working too hard, sleeping too little and exercising […] Read More

Singapore Posted onApril 5, 2005September 9, 2021

local rhythm

Every place has its rhythm. The rhythm of a place is expressed in the pace and density of foot traffic. It’s expressed by the number […] Read More

Singapore Posted onApril 3, 2005September 9, 2021

mummy’s choice

As my Sunday was getting started, I received a text message from a friend asking, “is it u in the papers 2day?” I thought, oh […] Read More

Singapore Posted onApril 2, 2005September 9, 2021

bachelors (redux) and brix

Work has thankfully slowed down a bit… Well, that’s not quite true. There’s just as much work as ever, but I’ve decided to return to […] Read More

Singapore Posted onMarch 14, 2005September 9, 2021

bachelor bail-out

I was supposed to go for my Bachelors Finale “fitting” tonight, to try on the “sporty” wardrobe and learn how to walk the catwalk. I […] Read More

culture Posted onMarch 10, 2005September 9, 2021

peeling back the layers

Monday was Tracy’s birthday, and we spent the morning wandering through the Yu Gardens and Market. It was in the Yu Gardens that we suddenly […] Read More

culture Posted onMarch 9, 2005September 9, 2021

schooled in shanghai

In all my experiences of international travel, I’ve been able to get by in English without too much difficulty, and where I’ve had trouble with […] Read More

culture Posted onMarch 7, 2005September 9, 2021

cold city, part 2

We saw nothing interesting about the architecture as we walked through the French Concession district of Shanghai, and our language issues persisted. There’s literally an […] Read More

culture Posted onMarch 6, 2005September 9, 2021

cold city, part 1

Shanghai has not felt warm since we arrived, in any sense of the word. It was 5° C last night, and I woke up to […] Read More

China Posted onMarch 5, 2005September 9, 2021

5 degrees, and 5 stars in shanghai

I’m in the chilly city of Shanghai this week, in a neighborhood called the Bund. I’m here with my colleague and good friend Tracy, at […] Read More

San Francisco Posted onMarch 2, 2005September 9, 2021

izzy is izzy

My last post – about writing fearlessly and honestly – generated a few concerned emails, including one from my mom. And, folks, that’s exactly why […] Read More

Singapore Posted onFebruary 26, 2005September 9, 2021

lime juice and sugar

I met D for lunch and a movie today. We’ve been exchanging phone calls, but I hadn’t actually seen her in about two months. I […] Read More

Thailand Posted onFebruary 22, 2005September 9, 2021

28 hours in bangkok

I was in thailand for 28 hours over the weekend – from touchdown to takeoff. The occasion was a stag party for one of my […] Read More

Singapore Posted onFebruary 18, 2005September 9, 2021

the briefing

I had to report to CLEO’s offices today for an “image consultation” and briefing about the “bachelors finale”. I came straight from a meeting in […] Read More

Singapore Posted onFebruary 17, 2005September 9, 2021

folding

I saw a dance performance tonight at the Esplanade by Shen Wei, a Chinese choreographer now based in New York. The first piece was called […] Read More

Singapore Posted onFebruary 15, 2005September 9, 2021

back “home”

I’m back in the little lion city state after a week in San Francisco. In the end, I was able to get one night of […] Read More

Singapore Posted onFebruary 14, 2005September 9, 2021

Signs you’ve been in Singapore too long

A funny spam from my boss. Probably nothing new to Singaporeans, but as Homer Simpson might say, “It’s funny cuz it’s true!” The following signs […] Read More

San Francisco Posted onFebruary 11, 2005September 9, 2021

empty tank

It’s early Friday morning in San Francisco. I can’t remember ever feeling so exhausted. Between fatigue and the rest of this time-travel head trip, I’ve […] Read More

San Francisco Posted onFebruary 7, 2005September 9, 2021

a traveller in my own city

I’m in San Francisco this week, and because I have tenants living in my apartment, I’m staying a hotel near Union Square. I thought it […] Read More

Singapore Posted onFebruary 1, 2005September 9, 2021

doors

WARNING: I’ve hardly posted anything these last two weeks. I’ve been working long long days for a difficult client. So, there hasn’t been a whole […] Read More

Singapore Posted onJanuary 28, 2005September 9, 2021

final fifty

So there’s a bit of news I’ve been too embarassed to share until now, but I might as well get it out… I’ve been named […] Read More

Singapore Posted onJanuary 23, 2005September 9, 2021

trees without tops and cats without tails

I spent yesterday cycling around (the island of) Pulau Ubin with Tracy, Crystal and Jimmy. It’s an easy day trip from the center of Singapore, […] Read More

Vietnam Posted onJanuary 22, 2005September 9, 2021

a few reviews

The Lucky Hotel in Hanoi sits on a quiet street a few hundred meters from Hoan Kiem Lake (the only lake in Hanoi that matters). […] Read More

photos, Vietnam Posted onJanuary 21, 2005September 9, 2021

photos of vietnam (and elsewhere)

En route from Vientiane to Hanoi, I met a frenchman named Fabrice. He and I crossed paths again in Hanoi and exchanged stories over dinner. […] Read More

eating, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam Posted onJanuary 21, 2005September 9, 2021

street food

I survived most of my trip through Bangkok, Laos and Vietnam on street food, and although many other travellers – as well as friends back […] Read More

eating, Laos, Singapore Posted onJanuary 20, 2005September 9, 2021

fish head noodles and songbirds on a stick

The other day in our food court at Singapore Airlines, I bought lunch at a stall called Fish Head Noodles. That’s not such a notable […] Read More

Vietnam Posted onJanuary 15, 2005September 9, 2021

some things i saw in vietnam but did not photograph

I’ve been back in Singapore for a week now. Since I returned, I’ve worked five 16-hour days, and my culture shock has recovered enough to […] Read More

photos Posted onJanuary 10, 2005September 9, 2021

photos from bangkok, laos and vietnam

I have more to write about my trip, but I’m completely buried by work for the next few days. In the meantime, I’ve whipped up […] Read More

Singapore Posted onJanuary 8, 2005September 9, 2021

“home”

Well, I’ve returned “home” to Singapore, and it’s going to take a bit of time for me to readjust – especially to Singapore prices. I […] Read More

Vietnam Posted onJanuary 7, 2005September 9, 2021

through my tourist’s eyes

As I’ve travelled the Vietnam countryside, I’ve seen many many times the folkloric image of the bamboo-hat-adorned farmer stooping among the chartreuse blades of a […] Read More

Vietnam Posted onJanuary 7, 2005September 9, 2021

body hair

I went for a massage yesterday, and at the end, my masseuse took the liberty of waxing my back hair. That may be too much […] Read More

Vietnam Posted onJanuary 5, 2005September 9, 2021

squatting

The other day I met a couple of post-middle-aged social workers from California. The wife was half Vietnamese but looked somehow Peruvian. The husband was […] Read More

Vietnam Posted onJanuary 4, 2005September 9, 2021

the apparently universal language of footbag

In Laos, the boys play a game that looks like a cross between footbag and volleyball. They kick a small wicker ball back and forth […] Read More

Vietnam Posted onJanuary 4, 2005September 9, 2021

cha ca

I’ve had a lot of delicious food on this trip, but one of the highlights has been a local Hanoi creation called cha ca, which […] Read More

Vietnam Posted onJanuary 3, 2005September 9, 2021

some notable things i’ve seen carried on motorbikes…

a family of five a live pig three dead pigs two dead pigs and a passenger six computer monitors bags and bags and bags of […] Read More

Vietnam Posted onJanuary 3, 2005September 9, 2021

traffic in hanoi

A popular joke in Hanoi says that when you buy a car or motorbike, the first thing you check is the horn. After five days, […] Read More

Vietnam Posted onJanuary 2, 2005September 9, 2021

happy new year

I heard once that whatever you’re doing when the clock strikes midnight on new year’s eve will define what your coming year will be like. […] Read More

Thailand Posted onDecember 31, 2004September 9, 2021

the butterfly

My nightlife on this trip has included a lot of billiards, mostly because a game like billiards provides a good venue for a solo traveller […] Read More

Singapore, Thailand Posted onDecember 31, 2004September 9, 2021

Thanks again, my good friends!

I just checked my work email for the first time in a week, and I was very moved by all the emails you sent me, […] Read More

Vietnam Posted onDecember 30, 2004September 9, 2021

new plan

I met a Malaysian woman at breakfast this morning, and she and I will head north tomorrow to the mountain villages around Sapa. She’s in […] Read More

Singapore Posted onDecember 30, 2004September 9, 2021

shortlisted!

I just received word that I have been shortlisted for the 50 most eligible bachelors of Singapore issue of cleo! I’ll have to cut this […] Read More

Laos Posted onDecember 30, 2004September 9, 2021

the tourism opportunity

The tourism opportunity represented by the rapid changes taking place in Laos is not lost on the people there. My monk and novice friends, for […] Read More

Laos Posted onDecember 29, 2004September 9, 2021

final random observations on laos

ON the beaten path… There were many many tourists in Vientiane. My first impression was that there were more tourists than local residents, and I […] Read More

Laos Posted onDecember 28, 2004September 9, 2021

dharma walking

Yesterday, I met a young novice (monk-in-training) while taking pictures by the river. Phong Sawaph is his name, and the first words out of his […] Read More

Laos Posted onDecember 27, 2004September 9, 2021

southeast asia update

I stopped into my favourite Internet cafe to check email, and I was hugely relieved to see Crystal and Jimmy are OK!!! in my inbox. […] Read More

Bali, Singapore, Thailand Posted onDecember 27, 2004September 9, 2021

south asian earthquake and tsunamis

I’m too far inland to have felt anything myself, but two of my colleagues are travelling in southern Thailand. Thankfully, I heard from Tracy last […] Read More

Laos Posted onDecember 26, 2004September 9, 2021

sunset on the mekong

I have to revise my earlier prediction about updating this blog. As it turns out, not only are there Internet cafes everywhere, but I’m actually […] Read More

Laos Posted onDecember 26, 2004September 9, 2021

onward into laos

Bangkok was fun but hardly relaxing. It’s a shopping and partying destination mostly, and I’d like this trip to be about winding down, not winding […] Read More

Thailand Posted onDecember 25, 2004September 9, 2021

christmas in thailand

It’s Christmas day here, ahead of the US. I’ve tried a handful of times to reach Angie’s sister, but I haven’t had any luck, so […] Read More

Thailand Posted onDecember 24, 2004September 9, 2021

first 24 hours in bangkok

Bangkok is a bustling, crowded, smoggy, lively, dirty, vibrant place, on par with any major world city. The roads are packed with cars, Tuk Tuks […] Read More

Laos, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam Posted onDecember 23, 2004September 9, 2021

see y’all next year

Well, I’m off to Thailand, Laos and Vietnam until 9 January. I had been planning to buy a motorcycle in Hanoi for my trip down […] Read More

Singapore Posted onDecember 22, 2004September 9, 2021

bean town girl

I called Thavy tonight to see if she was up for having dinner before I depart. She was game, and we met at one of […] Read More

Singapore Posted onDecember 21, 2004September 9, 2021

seeing ravens

I have a few butterflies about my trip. It’s been a while since I was a solo tourist with complete control over my itinerary. I’ve […] Read More

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