🏮 Asia: Four Decades of Change, One Lifelong Perspective
From a 1980s childhood expedition across China to nearly a decade as a Singapore resident, and current journeys, mapping the soul of a continent in motion.
The journeys in Asia began with a childhood crossing of China at a time when the country was just reopening to the world.
In the decades since, the region has undergone an incredible evolution, witnessed through multiple lenses: as a backpacker during a 2005 around-the-world trip, an eight-year residency in Singapore from 2008 to 2016, and now as recurring travelers revisiting favorites and uncovering new places. We’ve navigated the busy streets of Ho Chi Min City, the quiet temples of Kyoto, and the shifting skylines of Singapore.
This is a collection of stories and guides from 40 years spent uncovering the layers of the world’s most dynamic continent.
⏳ The Four Decades of Discovery
Asia has never been a static destination for us. It is a timeline of growth, both the continent's and our own. Here is how the journey has unfolded.
A Piece of the Past: This artwork, collected at the Great Wall in 1987, is displayed in our home today.
🇨🇳 1987: The Great Reopening
In 1987, a journey through China offered a rare glimpse of a country just beginning to reopen to the world that few Westerners had seen at the time. Artwork purchased during that trip that is still displayed in our home today, serving as a bridge between childhood curiosity and life as an adult explorer. While the cityscapes have faded into a blur of grey pavement and bicycles, four pillars of that journey remain etched as a foundation for the travels through Asia.
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The Great Wall: Walking on the ancient, rugged stones, and feeling the weight of history with every step
Xi’an: The sheer scale of the Terracotta Soldiers, a silent army frozen in time, guarding secrets of the past
The Yangtze River: A slow, multi-day passage through the heart of the country, watching life along the riverbanks unfold at a prehistoric pace.
Guilin: The limestone karst mountains rising out of the mist like a traditional ink painting—a landscape that felt peaceful and serene.
✨ 2005: The Return to Asia
Returning to the continent years later, the lens shifted from childhood wonder to intentional discovery. This period of travel offered a front-row seat to a region in the midst of a massive, modern transformation. Moving through these landscapes as an adult provided a new depth to the archive, capturing the tension between ancient traditions and the rapid surge of 21st-century development.
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🇹🇭 Bangkok: Balancing the traditional spirit of the river alongside the emergence of the city's modern luxury era.
🇭🇰 Hong Kong: Riding the Star Ferry—a classic crossing that felt like a bridge between the city’s colonial past and its electric future.
🇨🇳 Guangzhou & Hainan: Exploring my cultural heritage while witnessing the first wave of China’s massive coastal development.
🇰🇷 Seoul: Navigating centuries-old historical sites alongside the high-speed, 24-hour pulse of modern city culture.
🇯🇵 Tokyo & Kyoto: A lesson in contrasts, discovering the perfect, quiet harmony between vibrant neon and ancient traditions.
🇸🇬 2008–2016: The Singapore Residency
For eight years, Singapore was home. From the windows of our condos in Marina Bay, Novena, and River Valley, we watched the 'Lion City' redefine itself while using it as a launchpad to explore Southeast Asia. Returning today, we’ve found a city that is both comfortingly familiar and breathtakingly new. [Read: The Expat’s Guide to Timeless Classics & New Discoveries]
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Marina Bay: Living at the heart of the new skyline. This era was defined by high-energy city pulses, sunset walks along the promenades, and witnessing the iconic Marina Bay Sands rise from the ground to redefine the horizon.
Novena: A shift to the storied streets of District 11. Here, life was found in the balance of local heritage and modern convenience—humid hawker centers and shopping malls with evenings tucked into the quiet, leafy corners of a true Singaporean neighborhood.
River Valley: A lifestyle defined by weekend walks along the Singapore River, the historic charm of the nearby quays, and the perfect equilibrium between the city’s electric center and its tranquil green corridors.
🔄 The Ongoing Journey: A Constant Return
Our relationship with Asia is lifelong. Returning to the continent is more than travel—it is a journey to revisit old favorites, explore new places, and reconnect with the friends made during the years in Singapore. This perpetual return to a region in a state of constant evolution provides a firsthand lens into its ever-changing landscape.
If Singapore’s architecture is its skeleton, its food is undoubtedly its soul. From eight years of calling the 'Little Red Dot' home, we’ve gathered a lifetime of culinary rituals—from $5 peppery Bak Kut Teh to decadent four-hour champagne marathons on the 57th floor. This is our 'Expat’s Plate': a deep dive into the hawker centers, wet markets, and Michelin gems that define the heartbeat of Singapore.