Mabuhay from Manila, We humans are obviously herd animals; very gregarious and much more comfortable in the company of lots and lots of others from our own species. Crowded cities are testament to our desire to be with others. But there are some contradictory forces at play in our unconscious decision to live in urban …Read More
Kumusta from Puerto Princesa, Long-term epistle readers will know that I’ve railed against the worst of American travellers before. Yes, English oafs and soccer hooligans can be noisome. Yes, Australian yobbos can be very embarrassing in some situations. But, Americans are the most obnoxious. It’s not a three-horse race, of course, but the …Read More
Kumusta from El Nido, Three or four world travellers exchanging pleasantries in El Nido, The Philippines : “The beaches are so clean.” This is an unarguable contention; a reflection of the fact that there’s no garbage apparently washing up here. The inference – a perfectly justifiable one – is that there is a lot …Read More
Kumusta from Nacpan, Palawan, Gustave Flaubert was an easily bored, utterly unpatriotic Frenchman who once penned these words about travel. “How many imbeciles one comes across in the most beautiful places and in front of the finest views. When travelling, one meets many . . . but as they go by quickly, …Read More
Kumusta from The Philippines, When Daryl Braithwaite was once co-opted to endorse a singing programme – encouraging more Australians to take up the art, I seem to remember – he opined, “Everybody can sing.” Yes, everyone can sing if they can talk – literally. Even stutterers can sing fluently. King George VI famously had his …Read More