Food
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Osaka
The first change we noticed was the escalators. We’d become regimented in Tokyo, magnetically drawn to the left-hand side so hurried commuters could pass on the right. It was an unwritten rule, reducing congestion and encouraging social harmony, and we’d… Continue reading
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Mount Fuji
Snow drifted from a forlorn sky as our train pulled away from Shinjuku. Despite being crammed with bodies, the carriage was a vessel of serenity after the clamour and confusion of the station. A polite hush reigned, eyes withdrawing to… Continue reading
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Shinjuku
Shinjuku station is the human equivalent of an anthill. Every day millions pour through its labyrinth of malls, concourses and platforms in continuous, faceless streams. Incomprehensible at the macro level, on the ground everything appears to operate seamlessly; trains arrive… Continue reading
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Kuala Lumpur
Merdeka 118 loomed over Chinatown like some grounded alien spaceship: mysterious, unearthly, immense. The world’s second tallest building thrust an imperious spire towards heaven – homage, we’d learn, to Tunku Abdul Rahman, first Prime Minister of independent Malaysia, whose raised… Continue reading
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Central Otago
“Remember, you’re all lucky to be here.” That raised a murmur from the crowd. None of us felt lucky, to be sure, stood there shivering in the muddy yard, breaths steaming in the predawn twilight. There were around a hundred… Continue reading
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Ashburton
There would be mornings where the sun cast long shadows down the rows and dewdrops formed around the raspberries like crystals. But the air would warm quickly, stirring to life with birdsong and insect clicks as we lugged our crates… Continue reading
