Peregrine Online

where to find Cyborg Chimera and Under the Ash in Singapore

2011-01-23T05:57:00.000-08:00

If you are in Singapore and you are a reader of poetry, you can pick up copies of my two poetry collections Cyborg Chimera and Under the Ash, at the newly opened bookstore Birches. The shop is located at 420 North Bridge Road #04-09. They are not yet in full operation, having only recently opened for business. To avoid disappointment, you can call at (65) 9050 5633 before stopping by.

If you are not in Singapore, you can always purchase the books online from The Genre Mall.

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Singapore Climate

2010-12-19T06:15:00.000-08:00

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The Thorn of Lion City

2010-12-14T05:36:00.000-08:00

Reading Lucy Lum's memoir The Thorn of Lion City is not exactly pleasant, though the book is pretty well-written. The fact is, the time represented in the book just wasn't pleasant in Asia, and so reading about it can be pretty uncomfortable.

However, very little of Lum's account of WWII Singapore has to do with the Japanese occupation, to be honest. The Japanese do appear now and again as the "bad guys," but overall the Japanese occupation is pretty much just the background for the horror that Lum did know in her childhood — the horror of being abused by her mother and grandmother. Those two actually make the Japanese soldiers look docile and almost kind by comparison.

Stories such as these are never fun to read in the sense that an "escape novel" is — they, instead, depict things even more horrible than those we often hope to escape from in the first place. That doesn't mean that they should be avoided though. There is certainly some value in reading books that turn the stomach a little, if for no other reason than for the fact that they remind us that (at least most of us) don't have it so bad after all. They can make us grateful for things we often take for granted. And they can give us a picture of the sort of mental toughness required to handle the worst sorts of things that life can throw at us.

At least, that's why I return to books like Lum's — along with the fact that I like reading any depiction of my chosen home(s) that I can. I can't say I exactly like reading books about common folks during the war, but I do find them useful for these and other reasons. This is one of several memoirs on my Fill in the Gaps list, and I suspect the others aren't necessarily going to be easier to read than Lum's. I'll probably put off reading the others for a while, just to get a bit of a breather before encountering another disturbing piece. But I'll get around to them... eventually.

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Um... I doubt that

2010-12-02T23:04:00.000-08:00

I have to acknowledge myself as someone who thinks that former Singaporean Prime Ministers (not a long list there...) can be pretty bold in their public statements — sometimes overly so. Still, I am pretty sure that the lines attributed to a former Singaporean Prime Minister in this video must have been said by someone else, if they were said at all. Given the recent death of Madame Lee (the first prime minister's wife) after suffering from a series of strokes, I doubt that any high-ranking Singaporean would have been so insensitive as to have said this.

Just another reason to shake my head at the irresponsibility of the media.

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Hainan Island

2010-11-28T05:24:00.000-08:00

The tropical island of Hainan marks the southern end of China. Once thought of as the gateway to Hell and used mainly as a site for the internment of exiles in ancient times. In 1988, the island was set aside as a resort, and has undergone a lot of development since then.

The tropical rainforests of Hainan are quite pretty, as are the beaches — though neither quite compares with Southeast Asia's. The place is pretty enough, and the seafood is excellent, but the island has more or less become a big tourist trap. It's fun enough to visit once, but I doubt I'll be too tempted to make a second trip there myself.

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Woo-hoo!

2010-11-23T12:36:00.000-08:00

I am in Hainan island right now, with my godchildren and their family. They met me here and we're traveling about a little before returning to Singapore together. I've been away from Singapore for about 4 months this time, and so am especially happy to see my friends and family there.

This is my first trip to Hainan, and I hope to have some great pictures to share when I get back to Singapore. But for now, I'm off to the beach....!

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It Gets Hard to Keep Up with it all

2010-11-19T12:35:00.000-08:00

The peregrine lifestyle can make it difficult to keep up with all the little things one has to take care of day in and day out. To have a look at what all I'm trying to stay on top of this week as I get ready to make my way back to Singapore, have a look at my main blog.

I hope you don't get worn out just reading it....

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The Forbidden City, Beijing

2010-11-14T08:35:00.000-08:00

The Forbidden City, Beijing is one of the most amazing sites to visit. The first time there, I was overwhelmed by the weight of history represented on the grounds there. It was an odd feeling to walk in from the crowded city streets to a place that resounded with a sense of solemnity.

On more crowded days at the Forbidden City (i.e., most of the time), that feeling of cold silence is lacking, but the buildings there still hold such a long,

In Two Days: Houston

2010-11-10T08:50:00.000-08:00

I am often approached with this question: "I'll be in [fill in the city] for two days. What should I see while I am there?"

In response, I feature 2-day itineraries to a variety of cities here at Peregrine Online. At the end of each month, a new post introduces the main sites to visit in a city if you only have two days there.

Houston may not be the place most people think of as a top tourist destination. Still, there is plenty to do in the city, and two days there can be well-spent. So, today we'll see how to hit the highlights in Houston in a 2-day timeframe.

Day 1

NASA
Night: if there's a professional sporting event to attend, do that; if not, dinner at Kemah Boardwalk

Day 2

Museum of Natural Science, shopping at the Galleria

Alternate sites: for real shoppers, hit the outlet mall in Cypress

If you have a 3rd day: a day at the beach and/or on the Strand in Galveston

For kids: Galveston beach and ferry trip, the Houston Zoo

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Young Singaporean Poets Speak

2010-11-07T06:30:00.000-08:00

Date: 13 November 2010
Level 5 - Imagination Room, National Library Building
100 Victoria Street
Singapore, Singapore

What does it mean to create "Singapore literature" in the 21st century? How do local poets taking up the art today locate themselves in relation to their predecessors and to the larger world? Join four young poets--Grace Chua, Koh Xin Tian, Teng Qian Xi and Zhuang Yusa--as they tackle these and other vital questions while relating their thoughts to their own poetic practice.

The event, facilitated by Nicholas Liu, will include readings of poems by each of the writers, a panel discussion and a Q&A session. This session is organised as a collaboration between the National Library Board (under its Experience Singapore Literature program) and the National Book Development Council of Singapore (NBDCS).

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Cycling Adventure

2010-11-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I made my first trip to Guilin in Guangxi Province, China. We actually stayed just outside of Yangshuo instead of in the city of Guilin, as that's the area where the really beautiful Karst rock formations are. The spot we stayed in was secluded and quiet, and great for cycling. I went one afternoon on my own, and the next with my friends. Both days were fun, with the day I went alone being the best cycling trip I've had in a while — probably a year or so.

Here's a shot of the narrowest section of path. Just past here, it got steep and muddy, on top of being narrow, so I had to push the bike for a few minutes there or risk slipping into the muddy, wet rice paddies.

After finding my way across some paths like this through the farmland, and some wider, pot-holed filled dirt roads, I finally got close to the bridge I was aiming for. The problem was that every time I stopped to ask how much further, the answer was always, "About 4 kilometers," no matter how far I'd traveled since I last asked. At one point, the answer was, "That's it in the distance. The road there still winds around a lot and will take you a while to get there. I don't think you'll be able to get back home before dark if you go all the way to the bridge." The advice on an alternative route was to cross the mountain and take the bamboo raft across the river instead of heading up to the bridge. I followed the advice, which led me on a bit of a rough but beautiful ride, and I'm glad I did.

All in all, even though I didn't make it all the way to the bridge I'd thought I would get to, I am glad I traveled the path I did. It was fun, and I got to see parts of China life that most people miss out on. That's one of the joys of cycling when you travel — you're going at just about the right pace to really see the countryside, and yet see a fair bit more than if you were walking.

It sure made me wish to make a real long-distance trip across China's rural regions. Maybe one day.

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More from Texas

2010-10-28T00:31:00.000-07:00

While I was in Texas in August, two of my friends and I happened to stumble across a secluded, quiet little beach. We stopped and waded with the kids for a few minutes until it started raining. Later, we went back and took my sister, after having told her and my parents about it. (my parents stopped by while I was away)

We all agreed its best to keep the location of this little beach a secret. If word gets out, it won't be so quiet and secluded anymore.

Here are a couple of pictures, just to keep you wondering....

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On the Way Back....

2010-10-23T00:29:00.000-07:00

I'm on my way back to Shanghai today from Guilin. This is my first trip to this stunning part of China.

Be watching for updates here when I get the photos together for posting on Tai Shan.

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Perfect Time of Year

2010-10-19T00:26:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite time of year in Shanghai. It is cool but not cold, and the light comes in at fantastic angles all day long.

Over the weekend, I had a little time to take a bike ride around the southwestern part of the city. The day was perfect, and there were lots of serious cyclists out on the roads with the rest of us. It was a great way to spend an autumn morning.

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Texas has its beauty too

2010-10-15T09:36:00.000-07:00

I wrote a lot here about Alaska after my trip to the US in August, but didn't have much to say about Texas. It's not because there's nothing to see there, but because Alaska was new and exciting and beautiful. But Texas can have its moments too.

Here's a brief one. These pictures were taken from the window of a moving car, so they're a little blurry. But they give an idea of how spectacular the sunsets can be along the Texas gulf coast, with all that flat land.

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In Two Days: Singapore

2010-10-10T05:37:00.000-07:00

I am often approached with this question: “I’ll be in [fill in the city] for two days. What should I see while I am there?”

In response, I feature 2-day itineraries to a variety of cities here at Peregrine Online (cities in China are covered at Tai Shan). Once each month, a new post introduces the main sites to visit in a city if you only have two days there.

Today we’ll see how to hit the highlights in Singapore in a 2-day timeframe.

Day 1
Singapore Flyer - Esplanade / Merlion Park - walk on the river through Boat Quay and up to Chinatown for some shopping
Night: dinner at Clark Quay

Day 2
Sentosa
Night: leave Sentosa for dinner at Vivo City

Alternate sites: shopping at Orchard Road, a culture tour through Chinatown - Little India - Geylang Serai, or a climb up Bukit Timah Hill

If you have a 3rd day: Orchard Road, Little India, Geylang Serai

For kids: Singapore Science Center

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Quote from Travels in Alaska

2010-10-07T23:40:00.000-07:00

I took a good long time to finish up John Muir's Travels in Alaska (I think he'd understand — there's just too much to see in Alaska to spend a lot of time reading on the trip!) In the reading, I highlighted lots of things that I wanted to keep in mind after I'd finished reading.

I think this might have been one of my favorites of all:

"Most people who travel look only at what they are directed to look at. Great is the power of the guidebook-maker, however ignorant."

And there you have it — never trust your travel guide book 100%.

(Not even if it's Suzhou Basics.)

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The Bridges of Taishun

2010-10-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

It's the October holiday, and I am away in Taishun, a village near Wenzhou. The village is a little off the beaten track, but is interesting for the bridges that fill the landscape around the little town. Unlike the typical stone bridges all over the Jiangsu area, the bridges in Taishun are more typical of those in the north of China. It's odd that they are found here in the south, and only in this one tiny area, but somehow or another, here they are...

I'll post pictures soon of the wooden bridges, so keep an eye out for an idea of what the bridges of Taishun are like.

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The Joys of Air Travel

2010-09-29T01:18:00.000-07:00

A long wait taxing at O'Hare, on the way back to Shanghai earlier this month....

We sat on the plane for a very long time before we took off. Long enough that I napped and kind of lost track of time.

At least there was no connecting flight to be made. Like the day we went from Fairbanks to Houston via Minneapolis just a couple of weeks before. A long run through a big airport with 2 kids. We made it, seat to seat, in 10 minutes — just before the door to the flight closed.

And then sat waiting 20 minutes for any news of takeoff.

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A New Venue

2010-09-25T05:48:00.000-07:00

I've been blogging for a long time now. Recently, the regularity with which I've maintained some of my blogs was rewarded with a little recognition. Amazon decided to accept Tai Shan, where I blog about China and all things Chinese, into their Blogs for Kindle catalog. I am very pleased to see that blog, which I maintain at the online magazine Sloth Jockey, be made available at this new venue.

If you'd like to subscribe to Tai Shan on your Kindle or Kindle-enabled device, you can use the link below.

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Updates and New Hubs

2010-09-20T04:23:00.000-07:00

I updated my hub The Five Elements in Chinese Thought earlier this week. The new info might be of interest...

In addition, I've posted a new hub on Tomorrow Square, one of my favorite buildings in Shanghai. You might like to see the photos there.

And, last of all, I've posted my translation of Ye Shengtao's essay "The Suzhou Garden."

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On the Road in Alaska

2010-09-16T00:27:00.000-07:00

When we were in Alaska last month, we did lots of driving. It was lots of fun to cover as much ground as we did (about 2000 miles in 6 days). Alaska is a big place, and there is so much to see when you drive there.

Some of our favorite spots on the road were these:

Fairbanks to Delta Junction — beautiful mountain scenery there

Glenallen to Palmer — mountains, glaciers, and usually lots of wildlife (though we had a quiet day in that department)

Anchorage to Seward — glaciers, mountain, and sea... one of the most beautiful stretches of road I have ever seen (both directions)

Seward to Howard — forest and wildlife (saw lots of moose here); on the Homer side of the Peninsula, lots of coastal views

Wasilla to Fairbanks — Denali National Park

Fairbanks north on HWY 11 — we made it to the Arctic Circle and saw the Northern Lights... fantastic! (Though the road is mostly frequented by big trucks at work on the Pipeline, so it's a little rugged)

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A Tough Cycling Spot

2010-09-12T00:04:00.000-07:00

When I was in Alaska last month, I had my two youngest nephews with me, and didn't do a whole lot of "rugged" travel.

When I was in Alaska last month, I had my two youngest nephews with me, and didn't do a whole lot of "rugged" travel. We did, though, get to do a little cycling in Anchorage on some dedicated cycling paths near the coast, and had a lot of fun with that.

Anchorage is a great city for cycling. It's easy to rent bikes in the city, especially near the coast where the path is, and the path is a beautiful spot for a day's cycling trip. We picked our bikes up at Hertz, and got a good price on them.

We did have a lot of fun on our half day or so of cycling, and I am very glad we got to do it. We loved seeing the seaside, with the birds and wildlife that make their home there coming out to welcome us.

What looked really appealing to me, though, as a cycling spot, were some of the other parts of Alaska, particularly the spots north of Anchorage, Palmer, and Wasilla.
We saw a number of cyclists in and around Denali National Park as we drove there. With the little guys along, this wasn't a time for me to consider doing the sort of cycling that Denali would require — and I've been really out of shape for it all year long anyway — but seeing some of the folks on two wheels in the area really whet my appetite for the adventure. I have to admit that I was more than a little jealous seeing the women and men on their bikes, struggling up the hills. I can just imagine the exhilaration that comes with reaching one of the peaks, to be greeted with the spectacular views that fill Denali. Even from the car it was pretty fantastic. How much more so from a bike, when the struggle uphill multiplies the rewards of reaching the top.

Unfortunately, it wasn't quite suitable for our itinerary this time round. But who knows? Maybe one day....

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Notes on Alaska

2010-09-09T04:23:00.000-07:00

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who finds it difficult to put travels to Alaska into words. Here's what John Muir says in Travels in Alaska

Day after day in the fine weather we enjoyed, we seemed to float in true fairyland, each succeeding view seeming more and more beautiful, the one we chanced to have before us the most surprisingly beautiful of all. Never before this had I been embosomed in scenery so hopelessly beyond description. To sketch picturesque bits, definitely bounded, is comparatively easy — a lake in the woods, a glacier meadow, or a cascade in its dell; or even a grand master view of mountains beheld from some commanding outlook after climbing from height to height above the forests. These may be attempted, and more or less telling pictures made of them; but in these coast landscapes there is such indefinite, on-leading expansiveness, such a multitude of features without apparent redundance, their lines graduating delicately into one another in endless succession, while the whole is so fine, so tender, so ethereal, that all pen-work seems hopelessly unavailing. Tracing shining ways through fjord and sound, past forests and waterfalls, islands and mountains and far azure headlands, it seems as if surely we must at length reach the very paradise of the poets, the abode of the blessed.

Some ideas of the wealth of this scenery may be gained from the fact that the coast-line of Alaska is about twenty-six thousand miles long, more than twice as long as all the rest of the United States.

I started reading the book during my recent trip to Alaska, but didn't get very far into it. I'm trying to finish it up now, and when I came across this segment, I just though, "Yeah... that's it exactly."

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Blogging Frustrations

2010-09-06T21:54:00.001-07:00

Apologies for the little hiatus recently. I've had some unexpected frustrations with my blog here. I'm still deciding exactly how to resolve them. Watch for updates here soon.

Again, my apologies....

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