The Evilness of Money in Pre-75 Saigon. . .
In reading Huy Đức’s Bên Thắng Cuộc, I saw that in some parts he made extensive use of the newspaper, Sài Gòn Giải Phóng [Liberated Saigon]. I had never read…
Restless Chinese and American Steam Machinery in 1850s Bangkok
These days it is as easy (or even easier!) to get say Italian, Japanese, Indian or Vietnamese food in Bangkok as it is in any major metropolis on the planet.…
The Last or First of the Hundred Việt/Yue?
Several months ago a reader asked me to respond to an article (here) that essentially makes an argument that has been made many times before, namely that the Việt are…
Wanted Dead or Alive in Sandakan
The genre of movies about the American West in the late nineteenth century known as “Westerns” are very specific to that time and place, but they are also universal as…
O. W. Wolters, Life Experience, and Thinking Big in Academia
Sometimes I think there must be something wrong with me because I study about Southeast Asian history and I deeply dislike the writings of the late O. W. Wolters. O.…
An S-Shaped Country and Historical Scholarship in the Digital Age
There is a short video clip about Vietnamese history that is getting a lot of attention these days. Called “Vietnam, an S-shaped country!,” it was produced by graphic design students…
“Traditional Thai-ness” and Women’s Shoulders
Every once in a while over the past decade or so, the issue of how women, particularly young women, dress gets discussed in the Thai media. These debates often start…
Southeast Asian Scholars and Southeast Asian Studies
What I am going to say here is more impressionistic than “scientific.” So if anyone has opinions about this matter, please feel free to express them. About a year ago…
The Other Jewel of Rangoon
If someone were to hear an expression like, “the Jewel of Rangoon,” what would undoubtedly come to her/his mind is the Shwedagon Pagoda, the most famous landmark in Rangoon (now…
Why is this Sign in Chinese?
A couple of weeks ago I was in a hotel in Mandalay, Burma when I noticed this sign near the elevator. It says that when spitting up phlegm, one should…
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