Are these events that you’ll be popping in your diary? 1. Bath, UK Books and bonnets Why go? With her head newly pressed on the new edition ten pound notes, the Jane Austen Festival (13-21 September) will certainly be turning a few of their own. Expect natural Arcadian walks, Georgian musical delights and even a…
Boat in the Trees
This is the story of a boat that was painted in the colours of the ocean, but found her home in the jungle. The men on Tioman island are natural fisherman. For thousands of years, the Malays have plucked the tropical bounty from their shores, wading out past the coral reef to find flitting mosaics…
Never tease a monkey with a peanut
Unlike the playful Disney animation, in Rudyard Kipling’s novel The Jungle Book, Baloo the bear gravely warns the young Mowgli about monkeys and their status in the jungle: “Listen, man-cub,” said the Bear, and his voice rumbled like thunder on a hot night. “I have taught thee all the Law of the Jungle for all…
Aussie-ology
Here’s some gnarly phrases you can use to sound like a local: Goon – very cheap wine that is available in squishy foil bags. Warning: may contain fish or eggs. Grog – a term meaning alcohol. Pot / schooner – half pint-sized drink. Ripper / bonza – local sign of approval. Chook – a chicken,…
An Unexpected Indian Massage
After hauling a rucksack that weighed three quarters of me, a massage seemed just the ticket. A group of us had just rattled off a small minibus that had shaken us all the way from Delhi to the northern mountains of Old Manali. We’d travelled for a full day past miles of slums with flapping…
The Haggler’s Handbook
Good haggling is an art that takes time to master. The best deals are struck when you build a relationship with the trader and find a mutual price that suits you both, usually within minutes. Naming your price may seem daunting if you are used to paying set costs, but once you start sparring amounts…
Speechless: The Little Mermaid losing her tongue
I recently got the urge for a Disney marathon and wanted to finally revive my favourite of them all, The Little Mermaid. My sister and I would watch it on VCR on repeat, rewinding back to the start in a scratchy blur of colour, ready to sing along with Sebastian and his crustacean band again…
Summer in Suffolk – my 5 favourite things to do
1) Crabbing in Walberswick Every summer, hundreds of people descend on the sleepy little town of Walberswick armed with smoky bacon, fish bait, weighted strings, nets and buckets. During August, the town holds the British Open Crabbing Championships which has been an annual tradition since 1981. The wooden footbridges and muddy banks of the Dunwich…
Singapore Food Festival 2013
The food festival is a month long celebration showcasing the vast range of culinary dishes available in Singapore. Established in 1994 to promote Singapore’s gourmet arsenal, it has since become an annual festival to celebrate its hawker food heritage. This year, the food village at Marina Bay opened from 12th until 21st July. Featuring 40…
Beach-bound
‘It will let me go soon…Just a little longer.’ I flew across the sea bed, the shingle becoming my skin and bubbles coating my eyes. The surface gleamed deceptively bright above me, but daylight was too far away. The salt rushed in past lips pressed white, shrivelling my sluggish tongue. There wasn’t any more time….
Ferns and forest 