The Armchair Traveler's Club discussion

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6/15 - South China Sea > Hear it - Taste it - Touch it - Feel it

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message 1: by Ruth (new)

Ruth | 682 comments This is a place to discuss non-print discoveries about Vietnam, The Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei. Movies, Music, TV, Food?


message 3: by Ruth (new)

Ruth | 682 comments Suggested treasure valley restaurants-
Vietnamese:
Baguette Deli - 5204 W Franklin Road, Boise, ID
Little Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant - 1305 2nd St S Ste 103, Nampa, ID 83651
Pho Nouveau - 780 w. idaho, Boise, ID 83702


message 4: by Ruth (new)

Ruth | 682 comments Also Dong Khanh Vietnamese Restaurant - 2137 S Broadway


message 5: by Ruth (last edited Jul 02, 2015 12:03PM) (new)

Ruth | 682 comments http://www.shiokrestaurant.com/ - Singaporean food in Mountain Home


message 6: by Ruth (new)

Ruth | 682 comments http://boisepottery.com/pottery/vietn... - place to buy Vietnamese glazed pottery


message 8: by Ruth (new)

Ruth | 682 comments Ok this is wierd - the Idaho potato's trip around Southeast Asia

https://www.facebook.com/FamousIdahoP...


message 9: by Ruth (new)

Ruth | 682 comments Went to the Baguette Deli today - delicious! They only make beignets in the spring though - any ideas as to why that would be?


message 10: by Ruth (new)

Ruth | 682 comments Boy have I been misusing the term 'running amok'! From Wikipedia:

"Amok originated from the Malay/Indonesian word mengamuk, which when roughly defined means “to make a furious and desperate charge”.[5] According to Malay/Indonesian culture, amok was rooted in a deep spiritual belief.[6] They believed that amok was caused by the hantu belian,[7] which was an evil tiger spirit that entered one’s body and caused the heinous act. As a result of the belief, those in Indonesian culture tolerated amok and dealt with the after-effects with no ill will towards the assailant.[8]

Although commonly used in a colloquial and less-violent sense, the phrase is particularly associated with a specific sociopathic culture-bound syndrome in Malaysian culture. In a typical case of running amok, an individual (often male), having shown no previous sign of anger or any inclination to violence, will acquire a weapon (traditionally a sword or dagger, but presently any of a variety of weapons) and in a sudden frenzy, will attempt to kill or seriously injure anyone he encounters and himself.[9] Amok typically takes place in a well populated or crowded area. Amok episodes of this kind normally end with the attacker being killed by bystanders or committing suicide, eliciting theories that amok may be a form of intentional suicide in cultures where suicide is heavily stigmatized.[10] Those who do not commit suicide and are not killed typically lose consciousness, and upon regaining consciousness, claim amnesia.

An early Western description of the practice appears in the journals of Captain James Cook, a British explorer, who encountered amok firsthand in 1770 during a voyage around the world. Cook writes of individuals behaving in a reckless, violent manner, without cause and "indiscriminately killing and maiming villagers and animals in a frenzied attack." [11]

A widely accepted explanation links amok with male honor (amok by women is virtually unknown).[12] Running amok would thus be both a way of escaping the world (since perpetrators were normally killed) and re-establishing one's reputation as a man to be feared and respected. Some observers[who?] have related this explanation to Islam's ban on suicide, which, it is suggested, drove Malay/Indonesian men to create circumstances in which others would kill them."


message 11: by Ruth (new)

Ruth | 682 comments I found the cutest song about Manila and posted it in the video section - check it out!

The style of music is called 'Manila Sound'. The song is quite upbeat although it is about Filipino expats missing home from all over the world.


message 12: by Ruth (new)

Ruth | 682 comments From Netflix we have been watching Full Circle with Michael Palin. Episodes 4 & 5 visit Vietnam, The Philippines and Malaysia.

I love Michael Palin's travel shows! He is always funny and loveable and he enjoys getting to know the real people and ways of life in places rather than focusing on staying at luxury hotels, etc. With his comedic and artistic gifts he sometimes performs.

This one is a bit dated - it came out in 1997, but it's still good.


message 13: by Talia (new)

Talia (co1ytm) I love Anthony Bourdain's shows. I think he's done a few episodes in India. I know he did one in Burma (Myanmar).


message 14: by Ruth (new)

Ruth | 682 comments I love Anthony Bourdain too!

Anthony Bourdain episodes set in Vietnam: Anthony s6-10, s1-4, s8-10
The Philippines: Anthony s6-7
Singapore: Anthony s4-1


message 15: by Ruth (new)

Ruth | 682 comments Looks like most of the episodes are available on Youtube as well.

I forgot to mention that watching Palin's Malaysia episode really made me want to go there! I looks impossibly green, lush and beautiful. Malaysia has also been identified by Conservation International as one of the 17 most biodiverse countries in the world. (I want to go to Borneo!) Their cultural blend also has me fascinated. I will add it to my list of 'wanna go' places!


message 16: by Ruth (new)

Ruth | 682 comments Bourdain also visited Singapore in his Layover show - S1-1 (season 1 episode 1)

In his Parts Unknown show visited Vietnam S4-5

Man I didn't realize just how long he's been doing travel shows!


message 17: by Talia (new)

Talia (co1ytm) He has a lot of shows. I love his snarkyness. I have noticed that his shows don't always paint an accurate picture, though. In Parts Unknown, when he goes to South Africa, he mislead viewers about relations between Blacks and Afrikaners and the living conditions of the majority of blacks. On my trip to South Africa, I was pretty much behind the scenes; I got a different picture than most tourists would. So take his shows with a grain of salt.


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