The Undefeatable City

That's the meaning of "Ayutthaya", the name of the Thai kingdom that flourished along the Chao Phraya river in the 14th century. In 1767 it was sacked by the Burmese after a month-long siege:



This is what's left of it.

Shot using a Sony K790i camphone

The Boogeyman's Threads

Bugis weavers from Sulawesi show their wares:



The Bugis people were once known as fierce warriors and pirates who sailed the seas of Southeast Asia. In fact, the word "Boogeyman" - used in the west to scare kids - is said to have originated from "Bugis man".

I wonder if they know that. Can you imagine these ladies jumping out from a kid's cabinet???

What do you do when...

It's evening in Muara Muntai, a traditional Muslim village on the shores of the Mahakam River?



Wala, tambay lang :)

Bawal inom, bawal pusta, bawal pusoy, Bahasa ang TV at Bahasa ang radyo. But the place is nice... there's a mosque in every other block (yes, block), which means prayers are assured for the residents 5 times a day. The speakers on the mosque towers will make sure you hear them wherever you may be. And that's about the highlight of every day :)

If this were shot on film, I'd have multiplied the ISO x 3 to get a triple exposure on one 35mm frame :)

Another Big, Fu@%^ing

Tornado!!!!



I came across this while traversing the Mahakam River in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. My boatmen didn't seem bothered by its presence... in fact, they asked if I wanted to go nearer...

Man, talk about forces of nature :)

Open Here

Yup, it goes to the right :)

Fiery Fred

Kali-Escrima master Fred Evrard from the Nitien school of martial arts practices his jumping vertical elbow strike:



Photographed for Discovery Channel Magazine.

I Want my MTV...

VJ Taya Rogers:



Yet another reason to sign up for cable TV :)