Showing 1 - 4 of 4
Breathtaking beauty
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 04/01/2018
» It was a sunny morning when we left Pokhara, spending 90 minutes in a van before reaching the village of Nayapul where we would begin the longest trek any of us novices had ever attempted.
The new Brahmins
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 12/10/2015
» A man dressed in white blew into a conch as if it were a horn. Joss sticks were burning. Heads bowed but people's lips were praying. A screenplay on a golden tray was engulfed in a cloud of white smoke. Surrounding the tray was a feast which included a pig's head, Thai golden desserts, fruit, boiled eggs and seafood.
Dancer in the light
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 25/08/2015
» Kanyanan Jittreenit performs traditional Thai dance for a living. It's a relatively safe job, unless you perform at the Erawan Shrine. Though rare, there are a few occupational hazards for nang ram -- female dancers -- at this world-famous, four-faced Lord Brahma shrine on the corner of Ratchaprasong intersection, a site of many political demonstrations and, most recently, a bomb attack.
For the urban spirit
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 04/09/2014
» A cloud of grey smoke floated by from a nearby cluster of burning joss sticks. A drum was beaten inside the temple's hall. Combined with the sound of a camera's clicking shutter, they produced a strange rhythm, one of age-old beliefs and trendy invention. Hong Kong may be a paradise for anyone willing to shop until they drop, but at odd turns and corners, the city can also whisk visitors on an unexpected spiritual journey.