I'm in  , Khao Soi anyone? Email me. -- TheLoneRider

Movie Reviews at SFX Cinema, Maya Mall

The Outsiders

(people you need to push out of your sacred circle)

(May 31, 2019) The world is full of magnificent lives that have enriched my life - fascinating people who make up my peoplescape as I cover ground in my travels. As a general rule, everyone is a friend I haven't met yet. But inevitably, I also come across those who need to be pushed out of my sacred space to keep my peace and bliss...more »»

Movie Review: Avengers: Endgame (2019)

(May 14, 2019) The saga continues between the Avengers and Thanos' together with his/ rogues gallery. This movie is an all-star cast. Any super hero or villain worth his salt is here. I would even speculate that they were inspired by Game of Thrones. There were a few emotional tugs and pulls but the main draw was the loss of an iconic hero. Who? Watch the movie!....more »»

Movie Review: Arctic (2018)

(May 13, 2019) Arctic is such an under-rated movie that has come in the shadow of the block buster Avenger movie. But this movie was so intense from start to finish. It felt like a torsional twist that kept getting wound-up tighter and tighter unrelentingly as the movie played out. You have to see this!....more »»

Secret Sunrise Interactive Dance

(May 9, 2019) Secret Sunrise is an outdoor interactive dance where people wear headphones while a DJ guides them through the session as the music plays. Participants dance their hearts out but only they hear the music. To the curious onlookers, they could only speculate what the madness is all about.....more »»

The Fascinating Peoplescape of Ho Chi Minh City

(Apr 23-30, 2019) Far more lingering than the war tunnels or the monuments of Ho Chi Minh City, it's fascinating peoplescape holds me captive. They are the constants for me every single time I visit this lovely city.....more »»

Ho Chi Minh City on a Visa Run

(Apr 23-30, 2019) After staying 90 days in Chiang Mai, I had to leave Thailand and do a visa-run. Where? The cheapest way out was Ho Chi Minh City. I'm just too glad that I also love being in this city. After being there Aug 7-27, 2018, I'll be seeing it again for the 4th time.....more »»

Bruschetta: Nawa Saraan Style

(Apr 22, 2019) Bruschetta is a long held Italian tradition - plum tomatoes, olive oil, basil, garlic and baguette. But here at the Nawa Saraan kitchen, things are done with a little flair for innovation....more »»

Thai Cooking at Pra Nang Thai Cookery School

(Apr 20, 2019) One of the touristy offerings of Thailand is to learn Thai cooking. Many cooking schools offer a hands-on experience in preparing Thailand's staple dishes - pad thai, khao soi and tom yum soup. I tried the Pra Nang Thai Cookery School to see how I could surprise friends with authentic Khao Soi....more »»

Bonding with the Elephants in Chiang Mai

(Apr 11, 2019) Riding elephants, because of the cruelty in training them, has been taboo in the tourism trade. This time, elephant tours consist of feeding, bathing and petting the elephants which were claimed to be rescued from shows and labor camps. I tried one of them.....more »»

Julian Assange

(April 12, 2019) Julian Assange of Wikileaks has been arrested by the UK police and forcibly taken out of the Ecuadorian Embassy to face charges for exposing governments in their clandestine operations to undermine other governments, torture, collateral murder of civilians, etc. ....more »»

Ziplining in Chiang Mai with Eagle Track Zipline

(Apr 10, 2019) This zipline is unique for its 35-stations of treetop swinging, rope climbing, rapelling down and foot-bridging on a forest canopy....more »»

Getting Thai Massage from Chiang Mai's Best (Lar Thanakrit Khamtanong)

(Mar 21, 2019) When I heard a senior Thai massage teacher that she was going to receive a massage from Lar (Lar Thanakrit Khamtanong), one of Chiang Mai's best massage therapist, my immediate question was, 'how good can you be to be the masseuse of the massage teachers?'. My question would soon be answered by going to the end of a long list to get such treatment from Lar.....more »»

Being the Soul of Nawa Saraan Hotel

(Feb 18, 2019) Among the hotels of the Nawa hotel chain, Nawa Saraan comes closest to my heart. I've stayed here 3 years ago and I keep coming back here every time I stay in Chiang Mai. So, when the owner and friend told me that Nawa Saraan needed a soul, I thought to myself that I could be that...more »»

Peoplescape of Chiang Mai

(Jan 24 - Mar 13, 2019) Once again, being in Chiang Mai brought me back to good friends and introduced me to new people who drifted into my peoplescape as I begin to settle down and make a new life.....more »»

Curing Cancer with Yoga?

(Feb 21, 2019) A lady who once did yoga with me approached me again for a series of daily private one-on-one practice during her entire stay in Chiang Mai. Apparently, she liked my yogic philosophy and approach entailing asanas, calisthenics, pranayama, meditation and Thai massage. But in our conversation, she also intimated that she has cancer and was hoping that my brand of yoga would supplement her treatment. I lost my Mom from that same cancer she's afflicted with. Hearing that changed my game plan...more »»

International Training Massage School (ITM): Level 1

(Feb 11-15, 2019) Thai Massage is world-famous and there's no better place to learn it than at Chiang Mai's most prestigious massage center, the International Training Massage School. This is my first day to earning my Level 1 Certification Course in Thai Massage. 30 hours altogether. Time to roll up my sleeves.....more »»

Resuming Life in Chiang Mai

(Jan 24, 2019) With a proper tourist visa to stay in Thailand, I am back in Chiang Mai (from Hanoi) to start a 60-day mini-life. It will be a different life from most of what I experienced in 2018. This time, I have sufficient cash for a few months (instead of landing on a country with only $50) and a rood over my head. These are 2 of my most pressing concerns - but now, I can put those worries away and be more open to other things that land on my plate.....more »»

18-Day Mini-Life in Hanoi

(Jan 6-24, 2019) Hanoi, unlike most of the places I'd been to in Vietnam, has its own uniqueness. Food is very good, street culture is intense and bustling (at least in Old Quarter) and vendors are edgy. They have that grit in them. I haven't met a local I'd been close to, but I could imagine that beneath that tough exterior is kindness and generosity.....more »»

ARCHIVE: 2019 | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY

2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | ALL BLOGS