India: Finally got a piece of the pie

Delhi, Agra, Jaipur & Pushkar: I feel like a stupid tourist.

The times, they are a changin'. Stop and go. CNG's. Lost. Found. Red tape. First real bed of the trip. Passssssss out. Shitty movies. Ordering in. They're serious about service, but still don't have a clue. Connaught Place. Bazaar. Essential Rumi. Incredible India. Plans are good sometimes, even though I hate to admit that. Humayan's Tomb. Gandhi Memorial. Jama Masjid. beautiful tents. Tranquility. Back to the hustle. Almost got hustled. Rickshaw art. Red Fort. DINESH!!! Pindi. Muskesh. Basic Hindi lessons. National Museum of Modern Art.. hmmm. Maybe I should've tried to be an artist. Lotus temple. Sunset. Light and sound. An orchestra of horns. Eggs for breakie. A second lesson in love. Indian road tripping. Hindi playlists, with some 50 cent, sure. The musical talents of Mukesh. Pet monkeys that backflip. Peacock fans. Constant tapping. Please, I can't take it. Is there ever a 'bad' price? A philisophical encounter at the Taj, amid sunset. Reminded of why I do what I do. I think we just paid to get violated and abused. Every morning there is less fruit options. The Ghost City really does feel cursed. Scary encounter. Rajasthan. Greenery and mountains. Pink City. Amber Fort. Mosque. Paan. Naan. I think I'm curried out. Dhal. Peas Pulou. Textiles and jewellery. Zee's 26th. Chocolate cake and King Fisher. 2 mangos and a papaya, please. Herbal rubdown with a side of steam. Bollywood flick. Henna. Yes, even henna. Stroll through more temples. 8 bags of chips and no satisfaction. The energy changed. Lake City. Turtles. Camel safari and sleep in the desert.. ugh, yeap! So it's really more of an urban safari? Ha. More books. Nora and Tony. Camels aren't so bad afterall. White tent. Gin Rummy. India's version of Yukor. Mukesh gets wasted. The first time I've been cold in a month. Camel cart. Sometimes plans are bad, and I love to admit that. Moving on.

Bangladesh: Journey to the Mecca

Dhaka: Chaotic, Congested, Culturally rich.

Zia International. 2 am arrival. Fear and excitement. Tauheed Mohammed. Shoddy cab. Dhanmondi. Barkha homestay. Mangos!! Colour explosion. Rickshaw transit. Rickshaw traffic. Staring is just a cultural thing, apparently. No foreigners. I'm an alien. Coffee world. Work begins. We break bread here. Interview conversations. Words to describe architecture in Bangladesh: Adolescent. Biased. Climatic. Elite. Beautification. Different. Comfortable. Ventilated. Weird. Matchboxes. Construction. Limitation. Life. Nobility. Human greatness. Muzhural Islam. City centre is 10km x 20km, and houses 14 million people. Colonial influence. Bangli modernism. Climate guides design here. TKNRK. Nurur Rahman Khan. Is architecture a human right? Shelter implies protection, architecture implies more than necessity. Architecture is a noble deed. Investment in context allows for true creativity. Architecture = art + philosophy. The four masters. Inspiration in multiple faculties. Architects must uphold the nobility of the time, the people and the era. Do you want to be a thinker, or a builder? A lesson in Le Corbusier. Perfection feels dead. Focused defiance. The last thing you want is a style. Ghulshan. There are no places in the world, it's the people you meet. Fine Arts Institute. Memorial. Writers and their opinions. Power outs. The architectural pilgrimage. National Assembly Building. Louis Khan. An example of true mastery. Silence and light. Bridging difference through form.

Japan: Tradition vs Hyper Consumerism

Tokyo: Takeyo Pay Cheque

Heinously expensive cabs. Spotless. Tokyo Prince. Extemely friendly. I could live, here..? Errands. Bend over backwards helpful. Best snack ever. Tokyo Tower. Sumo wrestling. CNN. Zahra arrives. Walk around Roppongi. Catch up. Bite. Look under any viaduct for really cool places. Japanese pubs. Camera cleaning at Fuji world headquarters.. pretty sweet. Electronic market. Arcade games hall. Claw game for food. I want the edamame keychain, damnit. Subway navigation. Imperial Palace. Was that seriously it? Apparently Japanese architecture is pretty bland because everything gets ripped down within a few years or gets destroyed by earthquakes. Montreal John. Ginza. Matsusomething department store. Art Gallery inside. Kimono. Fruits and veggies. Damn good peach and grapes. Sapporo Lion beer hall. Shoe lockers. Perfect lunch. Original pod hotel. Business district. Lucked out lighting. Conrad Hotel. Tokyo Harbour. Stroll home. Exhaustion. Sushi. Bubble gum Kit Kat. Second wave wired. 4:30am wake up call. Tsujiki Fish Market. Fish auction. 500 pound tuna. Best sashimi experience of my life. Nap. Check out. Move hotels. Ueno district. City grit.. finally!! Absolutely no order to the Japanese address system. How do you mail anything here? Massage chair. Call home. Le Corbusier. Contemporary Museum of Western Art. Rodain`s Thinker. Jean DuBuffet. Jackson Pollock. So there are homeless people in Tokyo. Pineapple on a stick. Tiny alleyways. Res-like hostel. Where the heck is that buzzing coming from? University slideshow. Omotesando Boulevard. Todds building. Harajuku Street. Boutiques. Japanese hipsters are cooler, or bigger l0sers, whatever. Vacant Gallery. Amazing music exhibit. Pay, or get out. Fontski in Tokyo. Shinjuku district. Overstimulation. Is this NY or Tokyo? Sushi. Heart to heart. Pink line. Playlist. Passout. Starbucks. Bean pancake. Endless beeping. Areesa!! 45th floor observatory. Shibuya. Designer fruit. $180 mango. Buffet. Sign holders.. flight of the conchords? National Museum of Contemporary Art. Amazing building. Closed for a function (almost talked our way in as Canadian Art Critics.. ha). My hips hurt. Roppongi Hills. Musical toilets. Pedicure. Segoy. Itzukatzu. TORO! Ramin noodles. Arigato. Wunderlust. Inspiration from a 4yr old: find your passion and follow it.

China: Xie Xie

Beijing: Beijing Express

630am airport pick up. Radley Mackenzie. 1st Boys Soccer playback. Tsingtao in hand. Season's Park. Shower. Nescafe Iced Coffee. Unbelievable pollution (apparently living in Beijing is like smoking a pack of cigarettes a day). Tiananmen Square. Communist Party of China. Mao's Moseleum. Forbidden City. Western-style line up. Love tree. Blind scam. GUILE! Kuai. Ho Hai district. Bloody Marys. Bu Yao. Bird's Nest. Water Cube.
Radley's chat with Quincey Jones during the Olympics:
Q - How old are you?
Rad - 24.
Q - I've had hangovers longer than you've been alive.
798 Art District. The Chinese contemporary art I saw was really, really good. Peking Gallery. Surprise visit from Pat Maloney. Ex pats, diplo kids and army brats. Indian Kitchen. Q Bar. Punk. Bottle service. Unexpected events. First sleep in of the trip. Sunday Funday. Love China. Daytime bar hop. Dumplings. Paddy Osheas. Foot massage. Canon. Big eyes. Where did the time go? Blaring music all night. Great Wall.. it really is a GREAT wall. 2 hour hike. Alex. Corn fields. Random restaurant. Leaky nipples. The 'veg' who eats chicken. Car accident. Vehicle almost rolls. Rad manages to not spill a single drop of beer. China pull = 500RMB. Discovery Channel in Asia is hilarious. Quiz night at Danger Dolye's. Patricia's South America tips. Postcards. 1 hour sleep. My liver hurts. Japan.

Cambodia: Parallel Worlds

Siem Reap: An architect's dream

Late arrival. No hostels available. Walked out. Turned right around. Driver Jake. Bankrolling education. Angkor Wat Temple. Blows my effin mind. Scarf 1 dollar. Lady, I remember you. Coconut curry. Coconut juice. Nice to eat vegetables again. Mmmm. Move hostels. Bun Kao not Bun Gao. Old market. Silk, silk, silk. Ivey restaurant. Pub street. Angkor What? Funky Munky. California Chickitas. Heinrick. Yes, I'll have another. Late nights. Early mornings. More temples. Kid ambush. iPhone is the best distraction to show people when they're trying to sell you something. I don't want an ornament, but i'll give you gum. 40 minute hike to.. what was that again? 8 classmate alumni from LA. Hospital between them. Butterflies everywhere. The sprayer fan. Motorcycle rides in the sun. Thai massage, in Cambodia. You okay? Skipping dinner. Bike rides along the river. Siem Reap parks. Cambodian People's Party. 4am wake up. Sunrise down the river. Third day of temples. New market. Cambodian hospitality. Sunset hike. 300 people. Stairway to Heaven. Dairy Queen Blizzzzzzard.. yeah. Empty planes. Bangkok extortion.

Do you see what I see?

Vietnam: Take a closer look and see a country defined by war.

Ho Chi Minh City or Sai Gon: Organized Chaos

District 1. Old Market. Shit hostel. Ai Ling Loh - my savior. Cu Chi Tunnels. Temple. Endless names. Ron Glosson - a southerner in Rhode Island. RISD. Driver Chin. Practicing English. A lesson in love. Dragan and the furniture warehouse. Cheap labour. No chequing system in Vietnam. Pay day. Dinner with the ex-pats. The Larry story. Loveless relationships - makes you appreciate the good people. Pham Ngu Lao (backpacker) district. Crazy Bull Nightclub. 'Greek Salad'. Stupid Chloe dog. Park Hyatt Hotel - nicest place, looked at me like I was a bum. Best coffee. Reunification Palace. War Museum. Train Station. Postcards with glue brush. 4 hour airport delay listening to The Beatles. Lightening clouds over Ho Chi Minh en Route to Cambodia.

Vietnam: Take a closer look for the real thing

Hanoi: Northern Flare

Crazy drivers. 6+ accidents before reaching the hotel. Old Quarter. French Influence. Boulevard streets. Night market. Hoan Kiem Lake. Pennsylvania Peter. 5 people on a motorbike. Street Pho - pho crying out loud it's impossible for a veg to eat here. Weed guys. Miss Moon. Ga Ran Kentucky. Ha Long Bay. Couple from Tasmania inspiring me to live the unconventional life. Hilarious couple from Malaysia - perplexed by me. Lunch cruise. Caves. Beach. Hike to point. Pissing monsoon rainstorm. Driver Doan. Writing him a feeling. Museum of Ethnology. Ho Chi Minh Museum. Silk Village.

On the Road

Three days.
Four Planes.
Half way across the world.