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In my early years in Canada, Thailand was the most popular Southeast Asian tourist destination for North Americans. Travel agencies specializing in Asian travel had Thailand as the front-runner in their advertisements, brochures, and window displays. Majority of my Canadian friends who had visited or were intending to visit Asia had Thailand at the top of their list. Its tropical climate, long stretches of pristine beaches and azure waters, rich culture, colourful traditions,

When we finally touched down in Beijing, I was surprised at how state-of-the-art it was with its tall skyscrapers and wide avenues, as well as the strong presence of Western establishments such as KFC, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and the like. It was so different from how I imagined it to be. Had it not been for the bicycle lanes with hundreds of cyclists doing their daily commute and the huge bicycle parking lots dotting the cityscape, it could have been any other modern Western

I went to Beijing with my friend in the summer of 2001. We were both working at a TV station then, and after a crazy few months of non-stop production work with no vacation, we just wanted to get away from it all and have a few days of holiday somewhere far, somewhere different, and somewhere where we could forget the stress and pressures of our demanding jobs. I suggested China. It was considered exotic in those days, for China was not yet on the tourist radar among Filipino

I returned to Hong Kong a few years after my first visit. That time, I travelled with my mom, brother, sister, the same aunt, the same cousin, my uncle (the same aunt's husband), and their other daughter. My dad had to stay behind because of business commitments. The second trip was more of a family trip, focusing on theme parks with a bit of shopping and dining here and there. We spent one whole day at Ocean Park, which was THE park to go to when in Hong Kong in those days (

In 1981, a song with a rather annoying, but I must admit, very catchy tune, made it to the airwaves in the Philippines, where I used to live. I would not describe it exactly as a hit song, but it was popular enough that I remember hearing it at least twice a day on the radio. It’s called, “Made in Hong Kong” and it was sung by actress/singer, Claudja Barry. To this day, all I can remember is the highly-synthesized refrain that ran over and over again, “Made in Hong Kong, made