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Month: March 2025

Mando to Japando

Mando to Japando

A few years ago in the Sailish Sea, Mandolyn accidentally wandered into the Whiskey Golf military testing zone during a naval exercise. We had failed to check the schedule, and also forgot to turn on our VHF that day. Friends on a boat nearby heard some pretty stern hails for Mandolyn on VHF channel 16, but we didn’t realise our mistake until we noticed a navy ship charging towards us. It was like the old saying: “You know you messed…

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Malls of the Philippines

Malls of the Philippines

“You look just like an American movie star!” A cafe owner in the Philippine village of Sabang was very insistent on this point. On his phone he produced a clip of Russell Crowe from the movie Gladiator. “See!? Exactly the same!” His two Filipina employees looked at Russell, then looked at me, and agreed enthusiastically. Could it be that my time in Asia has been aging me into the doppleganger of 1999 era Hollywood sex symbol Russell Crowe? Or could…

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