Voices from Post-Revolutionary Egypt 2: The Bedouin Girl
S is 15, beautiful, dark-skinned and slender, with a hawkish desert nose and a full upper lip, dressed in a fuchsia and turquoise traditional dress,...
Tagged: gender
There's An Important Man On That Plane
“There’s an important man on that plane,” says Heny. “What plane? Where?!” I say, dozily. Z already has his eyes on it. It’s a sleek...
Family Values
As a trio, H, Z and I cause no little confusion to the good and tolerant folk of Laos, where we’re exploring en route to...
In Conversation
Her voice catches me first. It’s actressy, well-honed, modulated, and, my lord, it carries. It’s like Princess Diana in her “three people in this marriage”...
Hearts and Minds
We meet Cam and The Big O on a WWII amphibious landing craft in a coconut grove outside the island’s capital. They are surrounded by...
Like Jane Austen But Not: The Single Gal's Guide to Travelling Asia
1: Avoid Spaghetti Straps Shoulders are an erogenous zone in many cultures. Particularly shy ones. In South-East Asia, nothing, and I do mean nothing, says...
In Which the Family Dines in Considerable Style
It was my Dad who said it first. “That singer,” he whispered, over the sound of a particularly special Malaysian band. “Is she actually a...
If Bangkok was a Colour…
If Bangkok had a colour, it would most definitely be pink. Hot pink. Like a bar girl’s brassiere, or those gorgeous metallic fuchsia and violet...
Western-Thai Dating: A Driver’s Guide
One of the most consistently entertaining aspects of the courting ritual indulged in by ageing Western men and much younger South-East Asian women is the...
Working Girl
MJ’s been working bars since she was fifteen. Standard shifts. 6pm to 6am. She was an Avon Lady before that, but this pays better. She’s...