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hen Michele Royalty ting the look right isn’t as easy as of “The Female Brain,” says human posed skin speaks louder than rev- clothes at business events may wore a simple black people think. What some women behavior won’t rise above respond- enue growth, even to a CEO. be thinking “it’s an empowering T strapless gown to a see as fashion-forward can often ing to revealing clothing anytime Jonscott Turco, a psycholo- thing that they can be sexy and black-tie business dinner for her come across as sexy in a business soon. The cortex in the back of our gist and consultant with Partners professional, but guys don’t see pharmaceutical company, she environment. Women face mixed brains, she says, scans the environ- In Human Resources Interna- it that way. If she’s dressed sexy, says, “I saw the CEO’s eyes drop messages about what they ment for fertile mates—and ex- tional, says women in revealing that’s all they see.” to my cleavage.” should wear to evening events. “Once a CEO is startled by see- Ubiquitous photos of décolletage- ing your cleavage, an image is set revealing celebrities and models in his mind that is not going to photographed on red carpets and disappear,” says Ms. Royalty, runways do their part to encour- who recently retired as an execu- age faux pas. The super-short tive at the company. “I never skirt lengths, low necklines and wore that type of dress again.” body-hugging silhouettes mar- Events like awards dinners keted in stores these days often and client cocktails can blur conjure up the image of a trophy workplace rules—including of- wife rather than an executive. fice dress codes. And since it’s Eveningwear is practically synon- harder for men to embarrass ymous with sexy. themselves with evening wear, Dress is a particular pitfall for it’s often women who reveal too female executives. People aren’t much, leaving their clients or col- knocked off-kilter when a young leagues with indelible memo- office assistant shows up in a re- ries. The results can range from vealing dress. But when it’s the slight discomfort to a huge mis- CEO—or Hillary Clinton—it’s a understanding. different story. “What happens when the sun “If my attorney bills out at goes down is people go crazy,” $1,000 an hour, I want them to says Patty Fox, a stylist and fash- look like a lawyer, not a celebrity,” ion coordinator for the Academy says Jonathan Fitzgarrald, direc- Awards. She says she gives busi- tor of marketing for Greenberg nesswomen the same advice she Glusker, a Los Angeles law firm. gives movie stars: Don’t step out- It’s not just a matter of image; side the bounds of your personal sometimes, there can be real trou- style, even for a special occasion. ble. Lisa Goldstein, an attorney Gail Graham, executive vice and founder of consulting firm president of marketing for Fidel- Rainmaker Trainers in Philadel- ity Investments, the mutual phia, says that during a client din- fund company, watched a re- ner with spouses, a head of a law spected co-worker alter her col- firm was propositioned by her leagues’ impressions of her at a male client and his wife. The cli- recent business dinner. She ent “suggested that they swing to- “showed up in a dress that was gether,” says Ms. Goldstein, who practically backless and showed was informally consulted on how cleavage,” says Ms. Graham, to recover the professional-cli- who later heard male colleagues ent relationship. The lawyer felt talking about the woman—days that her revealing evening dress after the event. “It became the had sent “signals that were misin- story about her. You want the terpreted,” says Ms. Goldstein. story to be about you and your Any rational person should accomplishments.” know better than to proposition “There’s no greater crime” for his attorney. But the reason there a businesswoman, Ms. Graham are dress codes is to limit the sig- adds, with just a smidgen of hy- nals that could go awry—includ- perbole, “than to show cleavage.” ing ones that evoke the irrational. While avoiding displays of déc- Louann Brizendine, a promi- olletage may sound obvious, get- nent brain researcher and author
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dia, too, from Dubai to Copenhagen to New York. “They just shine for us,” says one New Yorker, Norman Indictor, a retired chemist and former consultant for the Metropolitan Mu- seum of Art, who began assembling a collection of Islamic art with his wife, Rina, more than two decades ago. “In the beginning of our collec- tor days, bidri was quite an undervalued form,” Mr. Indictor says, but to- day it is more sought-af- ter and “taken much more seriously.” A contemporary vase—or, with the stopper in, a decorative flask Bidri’s origins remain rather murky. Most his- torical accounts cite the impact of artisans foreign travelers with limited budgets who migrated from what is now Iran, and baggage allowances. where opulent metalwork was prized. Yet “The craft has to be revolutionized and a distinct style evolved in India. old designs need to be diversified to make “As the floral ornament of the Muslim the craft affordable for the masses,” ar- courts took hold, the native Indian taste for gues freelance designer Richa Gupta, who sculptural form enriched it, giving Mughal led a September workshop for artisans in poppies and irises the rhythm and weight Bidar at the request of the National Centre of goddesses,” wrote Mark Zebrowski in for Design & Product Development in New “Gold, Silver and Bronze from Mughal In- Delhi. Ms. Gupta came up with 42 proto- dia,” a seminal 1997 book that helped spur types for collections with names such as Old bidri is hot, and the new looks are cool the art market to pay “Oriental Minimal,” more attention to antique Places “Urban Strings” and . C`}fv 0vhdt bidri. to see bidri “Street Smart.” The evolution in In- But other designers he brides never wore black. But dia was centered in Bi- think it would be during its heyday, India’s Mogul dar, where royal patron- HYDERABAD smarter to stick with court delighted in wedding age guided a thriving in- A.P. State Museum bidri’s tradition of lux- gifts fashioned from a somber dustry that forged the This often-overlooked museum of- ury collectibles. “I alloy of zinc and copper, black craft’s name. The city, to- fers an outstanding display of bidri think it should be tar- fromM oxidation and brightened with gleam- day a largely impover- —some 50 pieces set against a taste- geted at a boutique au- ing floral inlays in silver, copper or brass. ished corner of Karna- ful backdrop of gray patterned silk, dience,” says Shweta No trousseau was complete without the taka state, is also the with informative captions. The gleam- Vyas, a Hyderabad- full range of noble-household essentials, site of an effort to save ing collection includes hookah bases, based designer who from goblets and flagons to hookahs, betel contemporary bidri betel boxes, candle stands and an un- worked with artisans boxes and spittoons. from “stagnation,” as usual 19th-century decorative plate. in Bidar in 2004 and This form of Islamic metalwork from collector Mr. Mittal puts Public Gardens, Nampally 2005. “There’s a very the Deccan plateau, known as bidri, flour- it, and to boost incomes 10:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; distinct Islamic aes- ished during the 17th and 18th centuries, for about 400 artisans closed Fridays thetic to it, and that’s only to fall out of favor as European who still work at the 91-40-2323-2267 what makes it bidri. tastes for porcelain and cut glass took craft. At the behest of You can’t just use silver over. The craft never died, though, and state crafts organiza- Salar Jung Museum inlay in straight, sim- the popularity of antique pieces has tions and private retail- India’s largest bidri collection rests plistic lines.” soared: These days some bring prices ex- ers, contemporary de- with this famed museum, but much of Many of the design ceeding $100,000, as private collectors signers have worked it appears dull—apparently a combina- prototypes have yet to and museum curators vie for the few sur- with the artisans in re- tion of neglect and poor lighting. Luck- graduate to retail viving examples in top condition. cent years to create ily, the museum promises a renovated shelves. The artisans, One of the world’s most ardent bidri—from clocks, can- gallery and more vigorous polishing however, have taken bidri fans is Hyderabad-based dlesticks and trays to next year. For now, visitors may find some steps toward se- arts writer Jagdish Mittal, earrings, cuff links and pleasure in the sheer variety of the curing their futures, whose wide-ranging col- buckles—aimed at both 250 items on view, from carpet forming groups such lection of Indian paint- domestic and overseas weights to fish-shaped spice boxes to as the Black Gold Bidri ings and metalwork in- markets. spittoons of all sizes. Artisans Society that cludes 50 pieces of The role of the de- Salar Jung Marg aim to market direct antique bidri. Now signer is to “push the 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; to consumers. 82 years old, he craftsman to do what his closed Fridays In November 2006, got hooked on ancestors did, and go be- 91-40-2452-3211 the Indian government bidri in 1951 af- yond that,” says Vikram gave bidri a Geographi- ter acquiring Kiron Sardesai, manag- MUMBAI cal Indication—an in- two 19th-cen- ing director of the Banga- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu tellectual-property tury hookahs lore-based Design Labo- Sangrahalaya strategy under World for less than 10 ratory Pvt. Ltd. Mr. Sarde- The vast collections of the former Trade Organization rupees, about sai sees a potential mar- Prince of Wales Museum of Western rules directed at add- $2 at the time. ket among upwardly mo- India include 15 examples of 18th- and ing brand value and Over the years bile Indian couples who 19th-century bidri for visitors to discover. preventing cheap repli- he has gradu- might otherwise opt for 159-161 M.G. Road, Fort cas. For these artisans, ally upgraded Western décor. “If one 10:15 a.m. to 6 p.m.; to be true bidri, the al- his collection, al- can make things that can closed Mondays loy must be oxidized us- ways looking for go into contemporary 91-40-2284-4484 ing soil dug from the ru- early pieces that homes, I think there’s ins of Bidar’s once-ma- display originality hope for the craft,” he says. jestic Islamic fort. That’s what produces in design. The designers differ in their ap- the black sheen that so entranced the Mo- Bidri appeals to proaches. Some favor a more minimalist gul rulers. collectors outside In- take, with less silver inlay. Officials at “Black is beautiful because of Bidar’s government-run emporiums, where soil,” proclaims Mohammed Moizuddin, a bidri can get lost among the craft clutter, fourth-generation artisan. “It is God’s gift.” An 18th-century spherical hookah often urge artisans to focus on smaller, base with lotus-pattern silver inlay lighter, less-expensive items to appeal to Margot Cohen is a Bangalore-based writer. Jagdish and Kamla Mittal Museum of Indian Art, Hyderabad (hookah); Design Laboratory (vase) Lwv} Asia's courses get greener Matt Kenyon
olfers make themselves a bit Keeping it green neurotic with “swing These five Asian courses illustrate different thoughts”—concerns about elements of good practice. stance, grip and a thousand other things that sneak in dur- SINGAPORE ISLAND COUNTRY CLUB, 6ing what should be a moment of clarity as SINGAPORE they begin to swing the club. Playing here, I feel as though I’m on a nature re- Here’s one more nagging question that serve. The four courses are shaded by mature trees, sneaks in on me: Am I doing the “right tropical birds are numerous and it isn’t uncommon to thing” from an environmental perspec- see monkeys. Nongolfers have partial access through tive? Golf and nature conservation are public-access footpaths. two passions of mine, and I worry: Can One reason for the biodiversity is that the courses lie next they be reconciled? to two of Singapore’s 14 reservoirs, and the land on which they’re built is owned by the Singapore Public Utilities Board. That cial responsibility Golf Journal means they must “comply with our stringent pollution-control require- in golf world-wide. We ments and adopt good water-conservation practices,” explains Tan Nguan plan to run technical training PAUL SPENCER SOCHACZEWSKI Sen, director of the agency’s Catchment and Waterways Department. seminars for course operators and to recognize courses that adhere to guide- PHOKEETHRA COUNTRY CLUB, SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA lines for responsible behavior. Golf courses world-wide have become In a region subject to seasonal droughts, Thai golf-course designer Major General Weerayudth In my travels around Asia I do see a target of environmental scorn, for bull- Phetbuasak sought to provide adequate water without harming the ecosystem or jeopardizing local abuses. But I have also visited courses that dozing ecologically sensitive areas, us- farmers’ supply. The solution: 19 man-made lakes that collect rainwater for irrigation, and a system show good management, and the trend ing too much scarce water and applying to pump it through all the water hazards. According to Didier Lamoot, general manager of the golf seems cautiously encouraging. Certainly too many dangerous chemicals. Chee course, this system eliminates the need to drill wells. It may even provide a surplus that could be some Asian golf courses will continue to Yoke Ling, environment coordinator of distributed to local communities. impinge on protected areas, use too many the Third World Network, a watchdog chemicals and disregard environmental group for the developing world, writes in LAGUNA PHUKET GOLF CLUB, PHUKET, THAILAND regulations. Water use will continue to be the organization’s magazine that golf de- Like most of the golf courses on Phuket, Laguna Country Club, opened in 1992, was built on an a problem—a poorly designed golf course velopment “is becoming one of the most abandoned tin mine, an example of “restoration ecology” in which a wasteland is turned into a produc- can use as much water as a small town. But unsustainable and damaging activities to tive and attractive resource. An “environmental area” serves as a de facto nature reserve. The course increasingly, Asian courses are following people and the environment.” is irrigated with “gray water”—nontoilet waste water—from surrounding hotels and is planted with the stricter standards of golf developers in The battle to stop golf has spawned native grasses that reduce the need for fertilizers and herbicides, according to Tim Haddon, Laguna’s the U.S. and Canada, Europe and Australia. groups with impressive names—the Glo- director of golf. Bangkok-based luxury hotel group Six bal Anti-Golf Movement, the Global Net- Senses, for example, which makes environ- work for Anti-Golf Course Action, both HORNBILL GOLF AND JUNGLE CLUB, SARAWAK, MALAYSIA mental awareness part of its corporate with roots in Japan—as well as a World No- Malaysian property developer Lee Kim Yew, in a venture with a Sarawak state agency, built this identity, is seeking potential partners in Golf Day (this year it was May 2). resort with an eye to rehabilitating 2,000 hectares of partially logged mountain top. With rainfall at Asia to develop golf courses. One crite- These campaigners are up against a 7,000 millimeters a year, some fungicide is used on the greens, but when I visited the greenskeeper rion: Each owner-developer would have to golf boom in Asia. Of an estimated 4,000 told me all fertilizer is organic and that insect control on the course is provided by chickens. adhere to company-developed standards 18-hole courses in the region, excluding On one hole I heard the unmistakable whoosh-whoosh of rhinoceros hornbills, or kenyalangs, in of environmental management. Australasia—more than on continental Eu- flight. To ecologists this bird, important for many Borneo tribes, signifies a healthy forest. “We used Why this new righteousness? Laws are rope—300 have opened in the past five golf to repair nature,” Mr. Lee says. helping, where they’re applied. In Sin- years, according to Golf Research Group. gapore, the Public Utilities Board—the na- With many more courses in development NEW KUTA GOLF CLUB, BALI, INDONESIA tional water agency—enforces strict wa- (in Vietnam, for instance, home to 17 Built in one of the most arid and unfertile regions in Bali (a desalination plant will provide water, ter-quality regulations on the land along courses now, some 30 more are under con- with the excess given to the local community), this site faced several environmental challenges, says its reservoirs. In one example, Kranji Sanc- struction and another 50 planned), the its designer, Ronald Fream. “We adapted to saline and thin soils,” he says. “We planted limited golf turf. tuary Golf Course abuts the Kranji Reser- question of whether golf inevitably harms We protected and preserved the adjacent natural, almost desert-like vegetation. Where possible we voir, and some 10% of the course’s land is the environment is hard for conscientious are planting with native trees…with a ‘semi-Scottish’ rough of existing shrubs, long grass and creepers.” set aside as a nature reserve to protect golfers to ignore. the water catchment. Economics is play- Vigorous golf defenders have stepped Some conservationists are coming and commitment.” ing a role, too—some course operators up. Australian golfer Greg Norman, who around to the idea that golf is here to stay, John MacKinnon, a biologist now work- recognize they could cut costs by reduc- has his own course-design business, has says Jeffrey A. McNeely, chief scientist of ing for a large European Union-funded ing energy, water and chemical use, while said golf courses can “provide green the Swiss-based IUCN-World Conserva- biodiversity project in China, is also co-au- others sense marketing possibilities. Thai- spaces, filter air, purify water and create tion Union, the world’s largest conserva- thor of “Guidelines for Maximizing Biodi- land’s Laguna Phuket Golf Club, for exam- wildlife habitat.” Ronald Fream, whose de- tion network. With that in mind, they’re versity on Golf Courses,” published by the ple, which limits chemical use, irrigates sign firm Golfplan—Fream, Dale & Ramsey shifting their focus from stopping course Asean Regional Centre for Biodiversity with gray water and has an environmental has worked in Asia for more than 30 years, construction to ensuring that courses Conservation. “A well-managed golf “no go” zone, sees potential in pitching argues that a golf course can reclaim waste- take steps to improve the sites on which course,” he argues in his book, “can pro- the course as “green,” says Tim Haddon, land—such as a former garbage dump or they’re built. vide more environmental benefits than a director of golf. mining pit—and help control erosion. With “All land use has an impact on the en- poorly managed nature reserve.” Keeping that image in mind as I stand its turf and trees, Mr. Fream adds, a golf vironment—the trick is to minimize dam- I got involved myself late last year, at the tee, I twist my hands slightly, sight course also produces oxygen and fights glo- age and, where possible, enhance natu- when several colleagues and I created Igolf— my target and get ready to hit my drive. bal warming by absorbing carbon dioxide: ral values,” says Mr. McNeely, a keen the International Golf and Life Foundation, “On occasion we plant 2,000 or 3,000 trees golfer himself. Golf courses can do it, he a not-for-profit Switzerland-based organi- Paul Spencer Sochaczewski around 18 holes,” he says. adds, but they need “effort, planning zation, to promote environmental and so- is a Bangkok-based writer.
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he dosa, one of man- kind’s great crepes, is both a bit less, and a bit more, than South India’s daily bread. MFew popular food items are as wispy as this thin pancake made from rice flour (aug- mented with ground lentils), or contain so small a dollop of fill- ing. Yet the lightness of the dough and the subtle crunch of the hungrily anticipated first bite are what make it work so well. Never has such emptiness been so filling. In Chennai, a sprawling port on India’s southeast coast, there’s hardly a snack shop or roadside stand that can’t put out a reasonable version of this all- purpose stuffing and dipping item. It makes a magnificent com- panion to the intense local cof- fee, filtered in individual cups. The History It’s possible that the dosa (do- sai, tosai or thosai, as it is called in Malaysia), first mentioned by Tamil writers around 500 A.D., was a product of the extension of trade out from the Tamil coast. The batter is fermented, and K.T. Achaya, an authority on Indian food, has suggested that the idea for that actually came from Southeast Asia, where fer- mentation of many foods was more common. This wispy crepe pulls some weight in Chennai . =vht ?}jbh
The dosa almost certainly ar- AFP rived together with the idli,a softer white cake; indeed, dosas goes cold and soggy, beyond the namic dosa from a dud? In differ- rolled up just at one end— per roast masala dosai, fragrant are usually made from the left- power of reheating to rescue. So ent parts of India, thickness or dunce-cap-style, as Mr. Doctor and festive, feeds as many as can overs of the idli batter. But while the perfect place to consume it softness may be preferred. For puts it. tear off a piece. an idli is cooked by steaming, a may be somewhere extremely me, the dosa should be as thin In Chennai, the “paper 24 South Mada St., Mylapore dosa is spread thin on a grill crowded, noisy and hectic—like as possible, yet fragrant with dosa”—as in paper-thin—is more 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. called a tava and fried. Chennai’s main branch of the Ho- the subtle infusion of rice and often called “paper roast” and is 91-44-2464-3898 Fermentation aside, the na- tel Saravana Bhavan restaurant lentil. If it’s Masala dosa, the so long, close to 30 centimeters, Prices: modest; that masala ture of the grain determines the chain, with only standing space most common variety, there will that the two ends don’t just stick dosai goes for $1.50. form of the bread, points out Eco- for patrons and huge lines be a mash of spiced potatoes in off the plate but may run off the nomic Times food columnist crowding both the cashier in the middle of the rolled-up end of the table. Stretching bat- Hotel Saravana Bhavan Vikram Doctor, a food historian front and the vast open kitchen crepe. Herbs like fenugreek of- ter to its limit, these elongated It’s hard to believe this open- in his own right. “Rice has next to out back. A ticket stub held aloft ten make their way inside as envelopes are made to be hyper- air hole-in-the-wall is the initial no gluten, and neither do the as part of the ceaseless struggle well, as do curds and cheese. crispy. And if one’s best effort branch of a chain that has spread other, coarser types of grain his- to get someone to acknowledge But there are so many varia- leaves half still uneaten, the re- across India and even overseas. torically grown in South India— your order just adds to the sa- tions that you could call dosas mainder can be shared with fel- This one is the high temple of varieties of millet, mostly,” he vory moment of biting into designer food. low diners. dosa and everything else that says. Gluten is the protein, abun- one’s prize. Sweet dosas are made with The Sources can be fried (as well as idli, dant in wheat, that allows dough What makes it even better at coconut and cardamom right in which is steamed), with accom- to stretch and rise. Saravana Bhavan is that how- the batter. And new dosa vari- Dosa can be sampled nearly ev- panying chutneys that are a spe- “Lack of gluten limits the way ever dubious the general level of ants appear all the time. Mr. erywhere in Chennai, but these cial touch. If you can, go at a time you can make it into bread…So sanitation, the paper plate is Doctor reports finding a purveyors can be counted on to other than the lunch hour, when the obvious way was to grind white as snow, the dips of spicy “spring dosa” that is deep-fried stand above the pack: it’s packed. (the grains) and make batter out sambar and coconut chutney are and sliced in cross-sections, 230 N.S.K. Salai, Vadapalani of them and that is fried as a freshly made and the dosa ar- rather like a Chinese egg roll. Sangeetha Veg. Restaurant 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. crepe,” he says. rives still sizzling. To accom- There are also presentation vari- The main branch of a popular 91-44-2483-2671 The Setting pany, a powerful hit of Chennai’s ations: Dosas are commonly chain, with everything on the Prices: a pittance; dosas world-class coffee is de rigueur. served folded roughly in half or menu from chow mein to Chetti- range from 30 cents to $2. The dosa seems to taste bet- The Judgment rolled like a crepe (though gen- nad chicken, but known mainly ter when eaten in somewhat of a erally not as neatly), but larger for snacks and numerous “do- John Krich is a hurry. Neglected even briefly, it How to distinguish a dy- and thinner ones are sometimes sai,” as the chain spells it. The pa- Bangkok-based writer.
The mysterious origins of the Margarita . 3}jb 5dpdt Envision
he Tequila Daisy—a mix of lergic to most liquor, and the only and lime juice. But the first appear- quila, 30 ml of Cointreau and 20 ml truly Daisy-esque, pour it over tequila, citrus juice and gren- thing she ever drank was tequila.” ance in print of a drink actually la- of fresh lime juice, shaken with ice finely shaved ice and stir. M adine served over shaved Not wanting to appear to be a hard beled a “Margarita” is the Decem- and strained into a salt-kissed cock- ice—was the first truly popu- drinker, she asked Herrera to mix ber 1953 issue of Esquire magazine: tail glass. If you would like it to be Email me at [email protected] lar tequila cocktail, and a natural her tequila up into a cocktail of “She’s from Mexico, Señores, and derivation from the Gin Daisy and some sort. He added lemon juice her name is the Margarita Cocktail.” Whiskey Daisy. The cocktail and then tried different liqueurs to Esquire cooed that, “she is lovely to achieved enough currency that the sweeten it up—first banana, then look at, exciting and provocative.” A crew of a World War II B-24 Libera- cherry: “No good. Then I tried Coin- year later, L.A. Times columnist tor, flying missions treau, an orange li- Gene Sherman, writing from Baja’s to support the D-Day Margarita queur, and that was Rosarito Beach, about 30 kilome- invasion, nicknamed it.” It’s a good story, ters south of the border, reported their bomber “Te- but doesn’t explain that “in the afternoon you sip a Mar- quila Daisy.” 60 ml blanco tequila why she wouldn’t garita and gaze pensively across the 30 ml Cointreau But a decade after have just ordered a Te- wide strand.” Sherman appears to 20 ml fresh lime juice the war, the Tequila quila Daisy. have been the first to suggest that Daisy had disap- Shake the ingredients with Others asserting the drink was named for some or peared, supplanted ice and strain into a parentage have in- other “sultry lady who was the toast by an upstart cocktail salt-kissed cocktail glass. cluded a San Antonio of the foreign colony,” but then he called the Margarita. Or, to make a Margarita society matron allows that the drink isn’t so far No one knows quite that’s more like its ancestor named Margaret from being a “Daisy,” the Spanish where or how. Among the Tequila Daisy, pour over “Margarita” Sames, word for which just happens to be the classics of the finely shaved ice and stir. and Beverly Hills bar- “margarita.” I think that in this cocktail bar, the Mar- tender Johnny aside Sherman hit on the truth, that garita is something of Durlesser, who staked the Margarita didn’t replace the a latecomer—and yet its origin has his claim very early in the game. In Daisy, but rather evolved from it, been every bit as obscure as those 1955 he told the Van Nuys News both in name and content. of drinks a hundred years its senior. that he had invented the Margarita Alas, for the near-ubiquity of Not that there haven’t been way back in 1937 and had even en- Margaritas today, I suspect that plenty of paternity claims. Among tered it in a cocktail competition, very few drinkers have tasted the those claiming to be the father of winning third place (a showing of real deal. Saccharrine glop extruded the Margarita was restaurateur Car- which there is no record). from machines is not the real deal. los “Danny” Herrera, who said he in- The first evidence of the basic Nor is anything that comes pre- vented the drink in 1947 for chorus- Margarita recipe comes from Eng- mixed in a bottle. And sorry, a can of girl-turned-socialite Marjorie land, of all places. The 1937 “Cafe frozen limeade blended with ice and Plant, widow of Broadway playboy Royal Cocktail Book,” published in tequila doesn’t count either. A true Phil Plant. Herrera even had an elab- London, included a drink called the Margarita is a remarkably simple, el- orate story about how “she was al- Picador, made of tequila, Cointreau egant affair—60 ml of blanco te- 7 P=_ @L7WW ?RV =]=Vc ;7c :L7WWE: VE=;=L 9R_L WC7S=W - #3 WYVRP@½ LE@CY 7P; 97L7P:=; (3(( "" 2(1 -6 -5 " 0 ;EWC_7WC=V W7?= + , 0 )-(*1 / / 0" , WS7VKLEP@ PRP¨L=7; :VcWY7L -5 (2 & , -5 &,$ $ WZVSVEWEP@Lc 7??RV;79L= ( 3. &0 , 2 /(- ( /33 " )(1 0 -,*6 $ *6 + - $ ___5VE=;=L5:RN 1( /1(2 0", ( 2*-" 2 *5+2 / ( -" ( 2+-+ ) *- (55 5*(-+ -(25- 2 -(*1 *2" 3 " - ( -(/-+ ( + * --+ 1- -(- !4 4 +55(4
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o journalist has ap- used to pave the road in the late proached his job with 19th century as they were more du- greater dedication rable than stone and less noisy, than your humble re- too. Check out the new and re- porter on this particu- used woodblocks that have been Elar assignment: a pub crawl installed as a replica of this early through Sydney’s historic Rocks paving technique on the west side district. I traversed this route of George Street between Mill not once, but twice. Ales both Lane and Playfair Street. pale and dark were drunk—not twice but thrice. And then there 2:30 P.M. THE OBSERVER HOTEL was the fact-checking. The Observer Hotel is at 69 After 10 “schooners” or pints George St. (corner of Mill Lane) (depending on the pub), there and is the first of a number of will be some matters for which pubs on our crawl that claims to your faithful scribe should be em- have a resident ghost, a woman barrassed. Though it’s all a bit who is said to have been mur- hazy now, the greatest friend- dered there in 1944. It’s an impres- ships in the world were launched sive structure from the outside, and lost and the great debates of and worthy of a beer stop, but history were, uh, debated, while only for one round. (Inside it’s all your reporter was dutifully bend- beer logos and “pokies.” You may ing his elbow with fellow custom- decide the Observer can be ob- ers (the likes of some, God will- served merely in passing as you ing, he will never see again). make your way up George Street.) They don’t call it a pub “crawl” for nothing. 3 P.M. HARBOURVIEW HOTEL So, for those who might get On Saturdays and Sundays (10 “shickered after one shandy,” we a.m. to 5 p.m.), George Street be- have provided here a “best of” tween Hickson Road and Cumber- route with additional side op- land Street becomes the Rocks tions for hardier imbibers. Market, a high-quality outdoor In fact, we break a lot of rules bazaar. After browsing the home on this crawl. It’s not our goal to ware, jewelry, artwork and arti- make you blotto. We’ll give you a facts, continue on George Street
feed to line your stomach and John Lavin as it runs under the Sydney Har- one to soak up the beer at the end. bour Bridge and ends at Lower You’ll find some of the best res- Fort Street. Turn left. taurants in Sydney along this A proper pub crawl through the city’s historic Rocks district Tucked underneath the route, plus art and history. bridge, near one of its stone py- But here is one rule that’s sac- . 0hjw Kvppd lons, the Harbourview Hotel at rosanct: the shout. A shout is a 18 Lower Fort St. offers what round of drinks for everyone in tions for a table with a view of Cir- 12 P.M. ROCKPOOL George St., one of only a few sur- may be the most interesting your party, and one—and only cular Quay and the Opera House. If you skipped breakfast at the viving houses from the early view of our crawl. You can see one—person is meant to pay for a ( 61-2-9241-4253; www.mca MCA Cafe, have an early lunch at years of this former British penal Sydney Harbour straight shout. What’s more, each person .com.au) Rockpool, 107 George St., one of colony. Built in 1816, it was origi- through the steel girders of the in your party must have a shout, We’ve allowed time to enjoy Australia’s best restaurants. It’s nally the office and barracks for bridge, whose design was an en- though on a pub crawl, the next the art and the architecture of perfect for a light repast of freshly the crew of New South Wales gov- gineering feat of the Art Deco shout can be at the next pub. the MCA. The museum’s perma- shucked oysters ($3.80 each). ernment boats. era. The original pub, built in the With the exception of one nent collection is exhibited in ro- Walk north along George Street to- Next door to Cadman’s Cot- 1840s, was demolished to make pub, which brews its own bou- tation on the fourth floor and in- ward Sydney Harbour Bridge to tage is the Sailor’s Home. Built in way for the bridge’s south pylon. tique beers, most vendors on cludes works by Australian art- get there. ( 61-2-9252-1888 to re- the 1860s to provide sailors with The current pub was built in this crawl offer a variety of pop- ists such as Howard Arkley, Juan serve within 24 hours or www clean, affordable accommoda- 1921 and today retains many Art ular Australian draft brews (Car- Davila, Tim Johnson and Imants .rockpoolsydney.com for advance tion (and, in part, as an alterna- Deco features. Skip the ground lton, various ales from James Tillers and international artists bookings) Main courses cost be- tive to staying with prostitutes), floor bar and head upstairs to Squire, Victoria Bitter, Hahn Su- such as Andy Warhol, Cindy tween $28 and $53. Hint: It’s it now houses Sailor’s Thai, an- Harbourview Cocktail Lounge. per Dry and Tooheys—both Sherman, Barbara Kruger, Roy cheaper to eat at the bar—there’s other option for lunch. Thai cui- It’s on an outdoor terrace and “Old” and “New”). Whatever Lichtenstein and Keith Haring. a different menu with lower- sine expert David Thompson the view of Sydney Harbour may you do, don’t order a Foster’s. Other floors feature temporary priced options. opened this restaurant in the entice you to have more than Actor Paul Hogan may have said exhibitions. Check the museum’s mid-1990s, long before he won one beer. it’s Australian for “beer,” but Web site for details closer to the 1 P.M. ORIENT HOTEL over London with his Michelin- most locals consider it Austra- time of your visit. Continue north along George star Thai restaurant Nham. The 5 P.M. HERO OF WATERLOO lian for “tourist.” Street to No. 89, the Orient Ho- entrance is on the south side of Walk south (or crawl, depend- 11:30 A.M. FORTUNE OF WAR tel. The rounded façade of this the building. There’s also a ing on how many you had at the 10 A.M. Your first coldie is at the For- colonial Georgian building is one quicker, more casual, and less ex- Harbourview) down Lower Fort BREAKFAST AT THE MUSEUM OF tune of War, 137 George St., of the oldest of its type still pensive sister restaurant, Sail- Street to the corner of Windmill CONTEMPORARY ART CAFE across from the MCA. Anything standing in the Rocks, a district or’s Thai Canteen, in the same Street, where you’ll find the Hero (Art and coffee? We haven’t earlier would be unseemly, even that gets its name from the sand- building with an entrance around of Waterloo, 81 Lower Fort St., even started and already we’re for a pub crawl. stone there, which was quarried the corner on George Street (ap- one of the more charming sand- breaking the rules.) Have a short The Fortune of War is one of by convicts and used to con- proximately $24 a dish; try the stone pubs in the Rocks and an- black (espresso) to perk you up three pubs in Sydney that claim struct the area’s buildings. Walk green papaya salad). other that claims to be the city’s before your walk turns into a to be “Australia’s oldest” (the through the public bar that has Cross the street and continue oldest. If it’s Saturday, you crawl. The MCA Cafe, which is other two we’ll hit later on the all the look of a “bloodhouse” north on George Street. Time to should arrive just in time for the just across Sydney Cove from the crawl). Down a “middy” of Too- and into the stone courtyard to get back to the beer, but don’t ig- Old Time Band, a jazz and swing Sydney Opera House, offers heys New (a downmarket brew enjoy your beer. nore the fact that you are walking band led by Johnny Wray, 70 breakfast only on weekends, 10 but perfect for this pub) to whet Across the street from the Ori- on the first road in Australia made years old, and Valda Marshall, a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Make reserva- your appetite for lunch. ent is Cadman’s Cottage, 110 by Europeans. Woodblocks were who is in her 80s.
On the afternoon I went to the son have the best beer in the comfortable room at the Lord fect place for a nightcap (other- Hero, there was a quiet vibe, with world? Six ales are brewed on the ($124 for shared bathroom, $181 wise known as a roadie). From locals dropping in for a schooner premises (the copper vats are to for one of your own), head east there it’s back down the stairs and a chat. One local was fasci- the rear of the bar). I start with a on Argyle Street through the Ar- and to the Lord for a snooze, or nated by a vacationing American pint of Three Sheets, a pale ale couple doing their own pub crawl, that’s smooth and malty and easy until the pair confessed they to drink. A chalkboard sign says, didn’t know who the “Hero of Wa- “The Blood is Back.” The Blood? Most pubs on this crawl offer Australian drafts terloo” was (the Duke of Welling- In no time we’re all sipping pints ton, who defeated Napoleon at of Nelson’s Blood, a robust porter from Carlton to Tooheys. Just don’t order a Foster’s: Waterloo). I asked about the tun- that does indeed have the nel that is said to run from the “espresso and dark chocolate” fla- Paul Hogan may have said it’s Australian for “beer,” pub’s cellar to the sea and re- vors boasted of in another sign. ceived an impromptu minitour Fortification is likely to be but most locals consider it Australian for “tourist.” from our Irish barmaid Carey. Al- needed to continue. Along with legedly used for smuggling rum serving pints, rather than schoo- and kidnapping sailors in colonial ners, of ale, the Lord Nelson main- gyle Cut to Cumberland Street. further down Argyle where, if times, the tunnel is now sealed tains the British tradition of pork The Argyle Cut is a historic tun- you turn right on George, you off, but you can see chains and pies at the bar. For more substan- nel, partly carved out by con- can go to the Fortune of War and shackles hanging from the walls. tial fare, there’s a dining room up- victs, that links Millers Point begin again. stairs with higher-quality pub (where the Lord and the Hero 6 P.M. LORD NELSON food (beef fillet, fish curry and are) to the Rocks (where you Chip Rolley is a When you emerge from the rack of lamb, with main courses started). When you emerge from Sydney-based writer. dungeon, you can add any new- averaging $29 each). the tunnel, turn left and walk up found mates to your mob (as I did the Argyle Stairs to the Glen- with the Americans—“septics,” 9 P.M. THE ARGYLE CUT more, a pub at the corner of 96 Next Month’s in Australian parlance) and crawl If you’re up for continuing, Cumberland St. Its rooftop bar, City Walk: west down Windmill Street and rather than crawling upstairs to with views of the Opera House Hong Kong turn left on Kent Street. At the a small but nicely appointed and and Sydney Harbour, is the per- corner of Argyle Street you’ll find the Lord Nelson (19 Kent St.), with the sign that proudly proclaims itself to be, you guessed it, Sydney’s “oldest ho- tel.” Never mind that. We’ve struck gold. The sandstone pub is beautifully restored and there’s not a pokie in sight. Is it the cumulative effect of the drinking, or does the Lord Nel-
Glossary
Bloodhouse: a particularly down-and-dirty hotel with generally out-of-control, drunk patrons Blotto: drunk Coldie: cold beer Early opener: pubs that open early (in Queensland state there are pubs that open as early as 7 a.m.), usually the turf of desperadoes who can’t wait for the first drink of the day Hotel: a pub. At one time, hotels were licensed to serve alcohol as well as provide room and board for v«¥©® d«¦« ¡¥¤« ®¥ ¹¥± ¶® ¤ ®´®¹ travelers. Today, the word is still ©®ď ¤ £»¤ «®¤®¥¤«X q±©«± ® sometimes used for any hotel, Spend your holiday «£¦¢ ¦¢«±©«X a¤¤© ¥© ®¶¥ ¥¤ ® though more often it refers to y±© «©± j¥©«¡ ©¤ |©® ¹¥±©«¢Õ establishments whose main spending it. ®« « ¥¢¹ ¹¥±á¢¢ ¤ ¥¹ «¦¤¤X business is serving alcohol (many of which no longer also provide room and board). Middy: A 285 ml measurement of beer, or a little more than a half-pint. This term is used in the states of New South Wales and Western Australia. Piss: beer (not what you were thinking) Pissed: drunk, not (necessarily) angry Pokies: poker machines or slot machines. Pokies have spread throughout Australia and are claimed by many critics to be killing pub culture. In the 2007 national election, voters elected a senator who ran on a “No Pokies” platform. Schooner: a measure for beer. In New South Wales, the Northern Territory and a growing number of other states, a schooner is 425 ml, or nearly a pint. In South Australia, it’s 285 ml, or a little Grandhotel Pupp, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic Rancho Bernardo Inn, San Diego, California, USA Hotel Gray d'Albion, Cannes, French Riveria, France Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA more than a half-pint. Porto Elounda De Luxe Resort, Crete, Greece The Grand Del Mar, San Diego, California, USA Septic: short for “septic tank.” Covo Dei Saraceni, Positano, Amalfi Coast, Italy The Palms South Beach, Miami Beach, Florida, USA Rhyming slang for ‘yank,’ meaning Hotel Parco dei Principi, Sorrento, Italy The Platinum Hotel and Spa, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA an American. Es Saadi Hotel, Marrakech, Morocco The Villas of Grand Cypress, Orlando, Florida, USA Shandy: a mixture of beer and Tongsai Bay Resort, Koh Samui, Surut Thani, Thailand View over 80 participating RESORTS online. sparkling lemonade (what septics To reserve your Resort Escapes package and for terms and conditions, call 800 96 3365 (Hong Kong) might refer to as Sprite) or 0120 747 755 (Japan), your travel professional or visit PreferredHotelGroup.com/resortaws. Shickered: See blotto, pissed Roadie: one more for the road. The *US$100 or local currency equivalent. thing about a roadie is there’s always one more.
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hen Valerie Wong takes a vacation, it’s a W`tfhvª0hjt` brief one—and that suits her just fine. She . ;}j ?v has perfected the long weekend getaway. t was raining when I arrived in T Yangshuo just before dawn. But I So far this year, she has been to Taipei for the ;didn’t care. Hours before I’d Easter holidays, Kuala Lumpur over the Ching Ming been at home in Hong Kong, with its choking smog. Here, the air was clean and fresh, even with the driz- Festival in April and Singapore for the Buddha’s zle. As the sun rose, I watched mes- merized while the town’s majestic birthday break in May. moss-topped mountains came into full, stunning view. “I do it all the time,” says Ms. Wong, a I’d skipped nearby Guilin, that mecca for tourists seeking the 30-year-old hedge-fund analyst in Hong Kong. “It’s jagged limestone peaks and dark wa- ters of the Li River that are pictured great for when you just need to get away, to get a in so many Chinese paintings. In- stead, heeding the advice of a change of scenery.” friend, I’d headed straight for Yang- shuo. For those who fly to Guilin, it’s only an hour away by car and of- Short breaks of three to four days are easy in fers all the scenery of the better- known city—with fewer tourists Asia—and alluring, given the array of cultures and tourist traps. A rice field in Yangshuo Yangshuo is “just beautiful,” de- around the region. But what if, like Ms. clares Seth Blodgett, a 37-year-old American teacher living in Tokyo a bicycle, which costs about $1.40, Wong, you’ve already hit the who traveled here in December with and be in the countryside in about 15 his family. The town’s surrounding minutes. You’ll pedal past farmland, well-trodden destinations? rice fields, mountains and rivers ringed on all sides by limestone give a sense of “what China had peaks. At points along the way, you Weekend Journal has checked once been,” Mr. Blodgett says. may even share the road with water The town’s old-world feel—“low- buffalo, children and flocks of plump out some out-of-the-way rise” defines Yangshuo, unless chickens. Or, hire a car and driver for you’re referring to its limestone about $30 a day through the China peaks—may not last long. Travel International Travel Service alternatives for your next aficionados have been buzzing branches in town; add another $10 a about it lately. A survey of travelers day for a tour guide. minibreak. From the mystical conducted by the Web site TripAd- You can also take to the water. visor last October names Yangshuo Hiring a small bamboo raft to ply the aura of Indonesia’s ancient temples to the hidden as one of the top 10 destinations in calm river under the stewardship of the world. And the town is fast be- a local farmer costs about $8 a per- delights of Seoul to the beaches of Langkawi, here coming a popular weekend destina- son. It sounds more dangerous than tion for people in Asia: Luxury it is—the steady raft I rode mea- are some easy-to-reach places—whether you’re travel company Abercrombie & sured about two meters by four Kent in Hong Kong says it regularly meters and included two seats for seeking a respite from everyday life or stretching a arranges quick getaways here for passengers. If you don’t swim, you people who live in Shanghai and might find it a little nerve-wracking, Hong Kong. but Mr. Blodgett and his wife felt business trip into some time for yourself. Elisabeth de Brabrant, an art con- comfortable bringing their two chil- sultant from Shanghai, went to Yang- dren—aged 6 and 8—along for the shuo with friends and family in hour-long ride. Plus, the open-air March, after meeting a bicycle-tour raft offers better views of the lime- operator who raved about it. “She stone peaks than the alternatives— sold me” on the place with her de- such as a cramped riverboat that scriptions of the vistas and the chal- seats about 25 people on wooden lenging bike rides. “We were look- benches and costs $36 for a 2µ hour ing for an experience that took us be- trip. The boat’s opaque roof ob- yond tourism,” Ms. de Brabrant scures much of the scenery, so if you says. “It’s up there as one of the best don’t get a seat near the small win- trips I’ve ever taken.” dows, you’ll miss most of the views. Of course, there are a few irritat- My cheerful bamboo-raft guide ing hawkers and crowded tourist at- initiated me into the local pastime tractions to avoid. But getting away of naming the area’s many craggy, from town is easy in Yangshuo. knotted peaks. As we drifted along A bamboo raft on the Li River in Yangshuo You can head out on foot. Or rent the river he occasionally rattled off Four Seasons (cave); Corbis (4) Left, a farmer with a water buffalo in Yangshuo; right, the beach at Burau Bay and a view through a cave, both in Langkawi
A`tfm`jªC`p`j` Yangshuo names and accompanying myths. . Av}jdt 8vpp`tc “There! That’s Frog Crossing the By plane, Guilin is one hour from Hong Kong, three hours from River!” He pointed, exuberantly, at a Beijing and two hours from Shanghai. From Guilin, it’s an hour s you fly into Langkawi’s airport, you can’t lump of a mountain poised by the wa- by car to Yangshuo. miss the long stretch of white sand that this ter’s edge. Indeed, there it was—the Luxe rating: Low. Lodging options in Yangshuo range from -lush archipelago is famous for. That strip, curve of a frog’s back, a long, bul- hostels to basic hotels. One popular spot is the Paradise though, which is right beside the airport, is just a bous throat and neatly folded hind Yangshuo Resort Hotel, at 116 Xi Jie, which has clean, spacious tease: There are plenty of other, more-secluded legs tensed for a leap. rooms and a central location ( 86-773-822-2109) Another beaches that are nestled beside rainforests. The main section of the town is option is New Century Hotel, which is next to Yangshuo Park Just ask Chua Lee Beng, a 40-year-old elemen- all of two bustling streets with a ( 86-773-882-9819). For a rustic inn, try The Giggling Tree, tary-school teacher in Singapore. She traveled to handful of bars and coffee shops. At which is run by a Dutch couple and is about five kilometers Langkawi last September for a short break between night, locals linger over bowls of outside of town. Guests stay in restored farmhouses school terms and stayed at a high-end resort on the noodles, and along Xi Jie (or West ( 86-136-6786-6154). north end of the island. “The beach was empty,” Street), you’ll find peddlers selling says Ms. Chua. handcrafted jewelry, trinkets and Family factor: Medium. There’s plenty for families to do: light A string of 99 islands in northern Malaysia that is wooden puzzles. Every night (ex- hiking and biking or a mud bath in the caves. home to fishermen and farmers, Langkawi—also cept for a short hiatus after the re- The draw: Stunning scenery and a laid-back atmosphere. the name of the archipelago’s main island—was off cent earthquake in Sichuan prov- the radar as a resort destination in Asia until re- Best time to go: ince), there’s a show—a must-see— April to October; the winter in Yangshuo can cently. Some islanders chalk that up to an ancient staged on platforms and bamboo be damp and chilly. legend—the place swirls with mystical tales—about rafts in the Li River against the back- a young woman wrongly accused of adultery. Before drop of the peaks. “Impressions Liu her execution, she placed a curse on the islands for Sanjie” marshals the star power of seven generations—a spell that expired in recent about 600 locals—children, fisher- years. In truth, the area’s growing popularity as a re- men and other townspeople—under sort area has more to do with its designation in 1987 the direction of celebrated Chinese as a duty-free shopping zone—a calculated move by filmmaker Zhang Yimou (of “Raise the Malaysian government to promote Langkawi as the Red Lantern” and “House of the a tourist destination. Flying Daggers”), who is also direct- Over the years, Langkawi has worked to become ing the opening ceremony of the a popular vacation spot. Tourist attractions have Beijing Olympics. been developed: There’s the Langkawi Cable Car Yangshuo is a serious rock-climb- that whisks you to one of the island’s highest peaks, ing destination, too. There are about Mount Matchinchang, for sweeping views of the An- 300 climbing routes ranging from daman Sea and the surrounding islands. A bike ride easy to hard. Five routes have down the mountain and through paddy fields at the earned a 5.14 “expert” Yosemite Dec- Langkawi bottom is even better. It can be arranged through imal grade, the second-highest rat- many of the island’s resorts. There’s also abseiling, The island is a one-hour flight from Kuala Lumpur, and 1 1/2 ing of a detailed system used in the sailing and canoeing. hours from Singapore. U.S. A route of that caliber is for Even so, Langkawi has managed to maintain a cer- elite climbers only, says Scott Luxe rating: High. There are several luxury resorts, from the tain hideaway quality—it doesn’t have, for instance, Browning, a general manager at Chi- Four Seasons (www.fourseasons.com/langkawi), the Datai and the club scene so prevalent on some islands in naClimb, a local adventure tour oper- the Andaman (check out both at www.ghmhotels.com) to other nearby Thailand. And that suits most visitors here, ator. “There’s no other serious- less-pricey, but chic places to stay, such as the Bon Ton Resort who are after a do-nothing trip anyway. grade climbing in China,” he says. (www.bontonresort.com.my). Ms. Chua, for instance, didn’t leave her resort (Tibet is known for its mountaineer- Family factor: High. Lots for kids to do. during her entire four-day stay. “I like to have the ing—not rock climbing. And though beach and sand, and everything else within the there are climbing routes in Guizhou The draw: Classic beach getaway. same resort.” On her last night, she went for a walk in central China and Beijing to the Best time to go: Hot and sunny throughout the year, but a mild on the beach. “The sky was filled with stars,” says north, neither has anything offering rainy season comes in September and October. Ms. Chua. “I was lying there on the deck chair and it the grade of difficulty of Yangshuo’s was really like an explosion” in the sky. best routes.) Besides a handful of luxurious resorts, there are Other sports include kayaking, number of little friendly places to stay on the main mountain biking and caving. island, including Bon Ton Resort, a collection of If you’re up for a field trip, visit eight old wooden village houses converted into styl- the village of Ping’an, a three-hour ish accommodation. drive away. (Your hotel or the China If you can tear yourself away from your resort, go International Travel Service can ar- on an island-hopping trip by motorboat. Visit the Is- range a trip.) There, you can see land of the Pregnant Maiden—its name comes from soaring rice terraces and villages oc- the mountains, which resemble a pregnant woman cupied by ethnic minorities, such as lying on her back, that surround a freshwater lake the Yao and Miao people. “In the on the isle. Local legend has it that a fairy blessed spring when the rice shoots come the water after burying her child there and any up, it’s emerald green and these in- woman who bathes there will conceive. credible terraces go on for miles,” says Gerald Hafferty, who organizes Lorien Holland is a Kuala Lumpur-based writer. China tours for Abercrombie & Kent. Nellie S. Huang contributed to this article.
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. -ttd 8p`tc reclining Buddha and tree of life mosaic. Built in the 16th century by King Set- Two hours by plane from hen Sarah Ramanuskas sat down thathirat, it was here that the former Bangkok; four hours from to plan a recent trip, what she kings of Laos were crowned. (The last Singapore; and 4 1/2 hours hoped to avoid was another king was forced to abdicate in 1975 after T from Hong Kong, excluding Asian city that had lost its culture to what the Pathet Lao, a communist rebel group, layovers. All flights go via she calls a “latte, laptop, Lexus” lifestyle. assumed power.) Bangkok. “We wanted to see a really interest- When monks and novice monks aren’t ing place before it changed out of all rec- at prayer or study they can sometimes be Luxe rating: High. Options ognition,” says the 41-year-old re- seen wandering—shaded by their umbrel- include boutique luxury hotels searcher for an online sports-betting las—and mingling with shopkeepers and such as the Orient-Express company in London. hill-tribe families who arrive for the night group’s La Résidence Phou She and her husband, Steve, 39, found market to sell their handicrafts. The Vao (www.residencephouvao what they wanted in Luang Prabang, monks begin their day soon after dawn, .com) and Alila Hotel’s 3 once the capital and royal seat of Laos, shuffling silently through the streets of Nagas (www.alilahotels.com), which sits on the banks of the Mekong the town and collecting alms—usually which has accommodation in River. “It has a really wonderful, laid- sticky rice, bananas and other food—from a traditional Lao-style building back vibe,” says Mrs. Ramanuskas, who local residents. as well as a former French- says friends had traveled here and en- This age-old morning alms-giving rit- colonial residence. ticed them with descriptions of Buddhist ual is a must-see, though it requires a Family factor: Low. This is temples, saffron-robed monks and the 5 a.m. wake-up call. Bear in mind, how- mostly an intrepid stop for charming blend of traditional Lao and ever, that it’s a religious ceremony—ob- singles or a lazy getaway French-colonial architecture. serve, don’t partake. “We ask the tourists for couples. In 1995, when Luang Prabang was to keep their distance because otherwise The draw: Traditional culture, named a World Heritage site by the the monks are not happy,” says Daophet saffron-robed monks, gilded United Nations Educational, Scientific Bovpphaphan, assistant manager of the temples and laid-back charm. and Cultural Organization—a designation 3 Nagas hotel. Best time to go: aimed at preservation—few people vis- On a recent day, Toni Stinton, 38, an ited Laos. Unlike other regional World American sales executive from San Fran- Mid-November to Heritage sites, such as the temples of An- cisco, watched the alms-giving at a dis- mid-February when it's gkor in Cambodia or Sukhothai in Thai- tance from the balcony of her hotel. She mostly dry and temperatures From top, sunset over the land, both of which are the remains of em- had escaped to Luang Prabang for a four- are cooler. Mekong River; Buddhist monks pires long since deceased, Unesco recog- day break after attending work confer- with their rice bowls; a pagoda at nized Luang Prabang as a town rich in his- ences in Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong. Wat Xieng Thong ; Buddha tory but also a living, breathing place still Having heard about Luang Prabang statues in the Pak Ou Caves practicing its culture. through friends who promised her it was Now, the city’s unaffected charm has be- “something different,” she wasn’t disap- come a draw for anyone seeking a glimpse pointed. “It’s not like anywhere I have ever of Asia’s past. And the small, sleepy town experienced before and I’m quite well-trav- is gradually gentrifying: Cafes and wine eled,” she says. bars now dot the main street Thanon Certainly, it’s a place to relax. Sitting Sakkarin—although they shut by 11:30 and sipping on a strong brew of local cof- p.m. and most of the city’s residents are fee and taking in daily life is one of the asleep soon after. most enjoyable pastimes. You may need a Luang Prabang’s appeal lies not only cup after you’ve climbed the 320-odd in its quiet but in its spiritual atmo- steps up Mount Phousi for a birds-eye sphere. The city is still considered the view of the town and spectacular views of country’s religious center, although Vien- the Mekong. For those wanting more, tiane is now the capital. Luang Prabang’s there are also half-day river trips, weaving 32 golden wats (temples) and monaster- villages to visit and hikes that will lead you ies are home to almost 1,000 monks. The into the nearby hinterland where mahog- most famous and beautiful of the tem- any and teak trees still grow. ples is Wat Xieng Thong, with its low sweeping roof, large carved gilded doors, Anne Hyland is a Bangkok-based writer. Corbis (3); Getty Images (cave)
One of the last buildings of its kind in Penang, the painstakingly restored Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, dating to the late 19th century, is open for tours once daily.
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. Av}jdt 8vpp`tc desserts and bright-colored drinks. tel fame) in the late 1880s and has Or go upscale. For a stylish European- hosted many famous guests including tep inside the lush Tropical Spice with-an-Asian-twist dining experience, Noel Coward, Somerset Maugham and Garden, just past Penang’s main go to 32 at the Mansion, at 32 Jalan Sul- Sun Yat-sen. Lbeach area of Batu Ferringhi, and tan Ahmad Shah ( 60-4-262-2232, Just around the corner from the E & O whiffs of coriander, allspice, nutmeg, pep- www.32atthemansion.com). This peach- is the historic Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, per and cloves waft over you. It’s a fitting colored Italianate villa by the sea was a courtyard home built at the end of the introduction to this Malaysian island, built in 1926 by a businessman who 19th century by a Chinese millionaire which was once a prosperous staging made a fortune in tin mining. It’s been known as the “Rockefeller of the East.” post for the East India Company’s spice refurbished and redecorated into a The “blue mansion”—named for its in- route in the 18th and 19th centuries. swanky restaurant serving Straits Cui- digo exterior—is one of the last remain- Today, Penang is every bit the melt- sine (a name for the fusion food that’s ing examples of Southern Chinese archi- ing pot it was those many years ago unique to Malaysia and Singapore) and tecture of this period. In the late 1980s, when traders, missionaries, sailors, set- it’s well worth a stop. Sample the Man- after the death of Cheong Fatt Tze’s last tlers and adventurers from all over the The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion is known as the sion’s well-known favorites: spicy glass- son, it was put on the market. But a world came to this state to make a new ‘blue mansion’ for its indigo exterior. noodle salad, osso buco lamb shank or group of Penang conservationists life. The 293-square-kilometer island in six-spice barbecued chicken. bought the house and it was painstak- the Strait of Malacca is a fusion of Ma- Penang went through something of a ingly restored. It’s now a bed and break- lay, Chinese, Thai, Burmese, Arab, In- who lives in Kuala Lumpur and recently slump in the 1970s and 1980s after it fast establishment. The formal rooms in- dian and European influences, from its took a family break on the island. lost its free-port status in 1969. But the side the indigo courtyards are open for architecture to its cuisine. “There are so many different things to upside was that many of its historical tours once a day at 11 a.m. In George Town, capital of Penang do from exploring Chinese temples, go- buildings escaped any modernization Penang also has beaches. Some state, narrow streets of Southeast Asian ing up Penang Hill on the old funicular drive. The island’s fortunes have since might find the sandy strip of Batu Fer- shophouses—typically two- or three- railway and bargaining in the craft revived, thanks in large part to an expan- ringhi (some 20 minutes outside George story buildings that serve as home and shops to lazing on the beach,” she says. sive electronics-manufacturing base at Town) heavily built up, but there’s business premises—give way to a broad “And of course there is such a large vari- the south end of the island. plenty of space to chill out under the is- mix of buildings such as ornate Chinese ety of food to explore.” A ramble through George Town land’s casuarina trees. The Shangri-La’s clan halls that house societies for over- From the Tamil Muslim nasi kandar might take you from Little India to Mar- Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa offers all seas Chinese who share a surname. Bur- (steamed rice with a variety of curries) ket Street’s spice shops, or down Love the bells and whistles of a five-star re- mese temples and Indian mosques to Malay asam laksa (thick tamarind Lane to St. George’s Church or to the sort with three swimming pools, a gym, blend with the handsome, Anglo-Indian curry soup), Chinese lor bak (fried pork Acheen Street Malay Mosque. The Pen- a nine-hole golf course, tennis courts, style Suffolk House and the Anglican balls in soybean sheets) and desserts ang Heritage Trust (www.pht.org.my) water sports and a big children’s indoor church, St. George’s, an elegant example like shaved ice with red beans and offers guided walking tours throughout playroom called the Adventure Zone. of Georgian Palladian-style architec- sweet syrups, Penang’s array of food re- the city center. For a quieter, more intimate experience, ture. Even the capital’s street names— flects its different cultural influences. Be sure to check out the Eastern & try the boutique Lone Pine Hotel, which like Armenian Street and Rangoon Road— Try the waterfront hawker stalls on Gur- Oriental Hotel (otherwise known as the is also on the beach. showcase the island’s diversity. ney Drive in the evening. The stalls E & O). This seafront, white-wedding- “The best thing about Penang is the serve all kinds of meat and seafood, cake of a structure was built by the Sar- Lorien Holland is a variety,” says Alexandra Carey, a Briton fried rice, noodle soup, breads, sticky kies brothers (of Singapore’s Raffles Ho- Kuala Lumpur-based writer.
Left, Penang’s Eastern & Oriental Hotel has housed famous visitors ranging from Noel Coward to Sun Yat-sen; Borobudur temple, center and right, on the island of Java, is described by Unesco as ‘one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world.’
Penang By air, Penang is 3 1/2 hours from Hong Kong; 2 1/2 hours from Jakarta; one hour from Singapore and Bangkok; and just 30 minutes .v}vac}ª ;tcvtdj` from Kuala Lumpur. Luxe factor: Medium. On the high-end, there are beach resorts such as the Shangri-La (www.shangri-la.com) and Lone Pine . Ldd Cvppq`t (www.lonepinehotel.com). There’s also the E&O in town idden for centuries under volcanic (www.e-o-hotel.com). ash and overgrown by jungle, Borobu- Family factor: High, given the beach. 8dur was rediscovered in the mid-1800s. Now restored to its former glory, The draw: Authentic Asian-fusion culture and food, plus sandy beaches. this ancient Buddhist temple makes a great Best time to go: All year round. first stop on a three-day break filled with In- donesian culture and some shopping (think gorgeous batiks) thrown in for fun. Fly into the city of Yogyakarta, consid- ered the cultural capital of the island of Java. Borobudur is about 45 minutes away by car. “It’s such a peaceful place,” says Yuli- nar Ekasari of what drew her to the temple on a recent getaway from Indonesia’s hectic capital Jakarta, where she sells insurance. One of the best views of Borobudur—a complex of eight stone terraces stacked one on top of one another and capped by a monumental stupa—is from Amanjiwo, an The Candi Sewu site of Prambanan on the Aman resort, a few minutes away by car. From the resort’s airy colonnaded restau- Indonesian island of Java rant, and from some of the villas (No. 9 and No. 24), you can see the temple nestled on the delicate green Kedu plain, with volca- ther place, making afternoon visits uncom- noes for backdrop. For $68 a person, hotel fortable. Spend the rest of each day loung- guests get early access to the temple—sun- ing around your resort. rise is about 5:45 a.m.—before other tour- When you’ve had enough of temples, Borobudur ists start to arrive when the complex opens head back to Yogyakarta. Stop at the mu- at 6 a.m. (The resort will provide a guide as seum and the quirky former home of Af- From Jakarta, it’s about an hour to Yogyakarta and from Kuala Lumpur well, for $68 for two people.) fandi, a top Indonesian painter who died in it’s 2 1/2 hours. There are no direct flights from Singapore to Alternatively, you can buy a ticket for 1990; it’s about five kilometers from the Yogyakarta, but you can fly to Solo. Then it’s a 2 1/2-hour drive to $11 and pay an extra $5 at the ticket booth center of the city. (Jalan Laksda Adisucipto Borobudur. for an English-speaking guide who will ex- 167; 62-274-562-593; www.affandi.org; Luxe rating: High. There are several upscale hotels in Yogyakarta. In plain the temple’s history, design and the open daily 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) the same part of Java as the temples are Amanjiwo various stories told by the wall carvings. For shopaholics, there’s inexpensive ba- (www.amanresorts.com) and Losari Coffee Plantation Resort & Spa, a Unesco called Borobudur, which was built tik and leather products along Jalan Ma- former Dutch coffee plantation (www.losaricoffeeplantation.com). It’s in the eighth and ninth centuries, “one of lioboro, the city’s main shopping drag. best to hire a car and driver for your stay and be picked up at the the greatest Buddhist monuments in the (Tip: Bargain like a demon and ignore the airport. Try Berlian Travel 62-274-443-335 world” when it listed the temple as a World touts.) You can lodge within walking dis- (http://tinyurl.com/6pwphf). For $38 a day, excluding fuel, you get a Heritage site in 1991. tance of this bustling road at the quiet and Toyota Avanza, which seats seven people, and a driver who will be An option to the Amanjiwo is to stay at luxurious Melia Purosani hotel (Jalan available around the clock. Losari Coffee Plantation Resort & Spa, a Suryotomo No. 31; 62-274-589-521; former Dutch coffee plantation. It’s about www.meliajogja.com.) Another good op- Family factor: Medium. Central Java is all about cultural attractions. an hour’s drive from Borobudur and two tion is the elegant Grand Mercure (Jalan The draw: History, culture and scenery—but Yogyakarta also offers hours from Prambanan, a collection of Jend. Sudirman No. 9; 62-274-566-617; shopping and nightlife. Hindu temples built around the same time www.grandmercureyogya.com), with a as Borobudur that is also a World Heritage main building dating back to the early Best time to go: May to July is ideal. Dry season is May to site. In the early morning, Prambanan’s high 1900s. (The attentive service seems to September. October to April is damp. pointed temples look if anything more mys- date back to another era as well.) terious than Borobudur, particularly as they And there are other remnants of bygone rise above the palm trees in the mist. (Some days: “They still have becak,” notes Ms. of the temples are currently off-limits due Ekasari wistfully, referring to the cycle rick- to earthquake damage.) shaws plying the roads. You’ll want to set aside a morning for each temple visit. There’s little shade at ei- Steve Mollman is an Asia-based writer. Corbis (Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion and bike; the E&O hotel); AFP (the mansion, inset); Getty Images (Borobudur and Prambanan)
From top, the Kyung-in Museum’s tea Ldvpª Lvh ?v}d` house; Min’s Club restaurant, which combines a traditional Korean exterior with European furnishings; and the . =thv ?jq ter of Korean youth culture and trendy entrance to the courtyard of the fashion. More than one million people a 130-year-old Rak Go Jae guesthouse t first blush, South Korea’s bus- day visit this area, which offers a vari- tling capital city may seem an ety of local and international brands of -odd choice for a minibreak, but clothing, shoes and electronics. Most of there are some hidden treasures to dis- Korea’s top cosmetics brands, including cover—and shops worth exploring. Amore Pacific’s upscale Laneige line, Beijing has its hutongs and Bangkok have outlets here. There’s also an excel- has its traditional canal-side neighbor- lent selection of shops selling a spicy hoods. Seoul’s blast from the past is rice-cake dish known as ddeokbokki and Bukchon village, a 600-year-old enclave other Korean street food. near the city’s center that is filled with Seoul “is a close getaway” and “the traditional Korean-style courtyard com- food is great,” says Koh Sakamoto, a To- pounds known as hanok. Typically, ha- kyo businesswoman who prefers to nok are constructed with white-washed shop at small boutiques such as Neeun, mud walls, timber frames and dark-tiled with its unique jewelry. (6-66 Shinsa- roofs. The openings of doors and win- dong; www.neeun.com) dows are covered with thin, white paper. A musician performs at Rak Go Jae guesthouse. While Seoul isn’t known for its bar- The residence of royalty and high gains, well-made but no-name leather court officials during the Joseon dy- goods are good buys. Try Dongdaemun, nasty, about 400 of the village’s hanok re- Korean spices and cooking methods with a shopping area—two stops on the sub- main. Some are private residences open Western-style standbys. Try Nobiani, a way or a 10-minute cab ride, if traffic is to visitors; others house museums, art dish of roast beef and grilled pine mush- light—from Myeong-dong. Check out galleries, restaurants and boutiques. rooms, and marinated steamed pork the shops in two of the malls, Migliore In the middle of Bukchon sits Rak Go served with garlic mashed potatoes and and APM, where stylish ladies leather Jae, a small, 130-year-old guesthouse chili oyster sauce. Min’s Club also has 150 bags can be had for $70 to $100 each. that boasts a sprawling courtyard patio wines on its list, ranging from $50 bottles End your day by hitting Rak Go Jae’s and garden with a pond. Each guest of lesser-known labels to vintage 2000 wood-heated sauna. Constructed of red room has its own veranda, and beds are Château Mouton Rothschild for $1,500 a clay, it is designed to leach toxins from in the form of traditional thin mat- bottle, and makes an effort to pair wine the body, improve blood circulation and tresses on the floor. In winter, the that complements Korean flavors. reduce fatigue and stress—like from all rooms are heated by the old-style Ko- Now for the shopping: On your sec- that shopping. rean ondol system, which draws its un- ond day, jump in a taxi and go for a short der-floor warmth from the cooking ride to Myeong-dong, the pulsing cen- Junho Kim is an Asia-based writer. stove in the kitchen. Guests also get a taste of local cul- ture through live performances of Ko- rean music played on traditional flutes From Shanghai, Beijing and Tokyo, Seoul and stringed instruments, and they can is about two hours by plane. It’s about watch traditional Korean cuisine being a four-hour flight from Hong Kong. prepared in the in-house restaurant. Luxe rating: High. You can stay About a 15-minute walk from the somewhere unique, such as the Rak Go guesthouse in the area of Insa-dong is Jae (www.rgj.com), a traditional Kyung-in Museum, a complex of three Korean-style house with all the modern museums, a cafe, a lovely garden and an conveniences, or in five-star hotels such old-style tea house, where you can try a as the Grand Hyatt Korean brew. One of the best for sum- (www.grandhyattseoul.co.kr), or the W mer is a cold omijatea made from a (www.wseoul.com), which is farther berry known by the scientific name from the center of town but features Schisandra chinensis that is also used in great restaurants and edgy design. traditional Korean and Chinese medi- cine. It’s a taste sensation—at once Family factor: Also high. There are sweet, sour, salty, bitter and spicy. plenty of things to amuse the Cap off the day with dinner at Min’s kids—from street performers to changing-of-the-guard ceremonies at Club (Min Ga Da Heon, in Korean; The draw: Traditional charm plus Seoul’s royal palaces. For teenagers, 82-2-730-6305) ), a restaurant that cutting-edge luxury. combines a hanok-style exterior with there’s the shopping scene in European furnishings like club chairs. Myeong-dong, a center of Korean Best time to go: September and (It’s located around the corner from the youth culture. October or April and May. Kyung-in Museum.) The food is simi- larly a fusion of East and West, melding Hyunwoo Park/www.minorepublic.com (3); Rak Go Jae (musician) M`d
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kills him—she has become a is never mentioned in the story; more assertive person. instead, she becomes involved .dbvqjtf Ajpd Kdc Kjcjtf 8vvc Sexuality is subtle in the with the rapacious “father wolf” Grimms’ telling of that story, but and is later saved by the protec- If you were asked to list liter- Along the way, she meets a ing so, they exert their influence. not in earlier versions. In one, a tive fatherly hunter. In the end, ary classics, it is unlikely that friendly wolf who asks her where Another device in “Grimms’” is werewolf demands that the girl she kills the wolf, thus renounc- “Little Red Riding Hood” would she is going. The charming Red the use of absolutes. In “Snow strip and get in bed with him, but ing her oedipal desires for her fa- be the first to come to mind. You Riding Hood all but invites him to White,” Mother is divided into the she escapes. In the Perrault ver- ther. The child who hears the might think of the Bible or Shake- meet her at Grandma’s by pin- entirely good queen who died and sion of 1797, Little Red Riding story has learned about the dan- speare, since they are the two pointing the location of her the unremittingly cruel step- Hood takes off her clothes and gers of loving unwisely. most widely owned house. mother who wishes to kill the girl. climbs into bed with “Father The dilemma for Little Red masterworks of The wolf per- In “Little Red Riding Hood,” fa- Wolf.” In the Grimms’ story, she Riding Hood is the extent to which Western literature. These Grimm suades Little Red therly attributes are split between virtually invites him to Grandma’s she must keep to the straight But, as novelist tales are Riding Hood to wan- the good protective hunter and house, where she is bringing path. Thanks to her dallying in the A.S. Byatt notes, der off into the the sinful, animalistic wolf. Since treats that are ideal for a party. woods, Grandma and she are “Grimms’ Fairy cultural woods to see the children themselves think in abso- The “old sinner” delights in con- eaten, but there is no overt moral- Tales,” which con- treasures. beautiful flowers, to lutes, a clean division of at- izing. By the time the story tains the popular hear the birds sing- tributes makes it easier for the ends, Little Red Riding Hood “Little Red Riding ing and to enjoy the child to consider opposite quali- has not only taken action Hood,” is probably third. merry woods. This ploy allows ties. against the wolf but also makes Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm col- the wolf to rush off to eat Violence and sexuality are, a promise to herself to heed her lected tales from folk sources, Grandma, disguise himself as her, as the Grimm scholar Maria Ta- mother’s warnings, and thus is and published their “Children’s and wait in bed for the girl. When tar says, “the major thematic better prepared to avoid the and Household Tales” in 1812. To she arrives, she questions the concern of the tales ...atleast wrong partner in the future. make the stories more literary wolf about his appearance. And in their unedited form.” Rumpel- The Grimms allow the child to and more appropriate for chil- when she finally asks about his stiltskin tears himself in two, consider such issues uncon- dren, they made revisions big teeth, he famously replies Snow White’s stepmother sciously, without being sub- throughout their seven editions, “The better to eat you with” and dances herself to death in red- jected to a heavy dose of didacti- the last published in 1857. devours her. hot iron shoes, and Hansel and cism. These fairy tales deal with the Sated, the wolf falls asleep. Gretel are left in the forest to “Little Red Riding Hood,” same issues, such as love and Luckily, a hunter walks by, checks die. (If these scenes are unfamil- like the other great fairy tales death, as all great literature. on Grandma, and discovers what iar, you have read a bowdler- of the Brothers Grimm, ends They do so without hiding vio- has happened. He cuts open the ized version. These “retellings” happily—but not with “they lence, hate, or even lust, making wolf’s belly, releasing Grandma are to the Grimms what Cliffs lived happily ever after.” Red them quite different from most and Little Red Riding Hood, both Notes are to Shakespeare.) Riding Hood has more work to children’s books of today. They unharmed. Then Red Riding But the Brothers Grimm can- do; she is not yet ready for her set a standard for literary works— Hood springs into action herself not be blamed for introducing prince. Vladimir Nabokov was right and kills the wolf by piling rocks alien thoughts into the child’s For adults, telling the story when he said that all great novels in his belly. mind. The child has his own Corbis to a child is the richest of plea- are great fairy tales. The fairy tale is fantastic, but fears of and desires for violence versing with her, gets rid of sures. The storyteller revisits a The stories are presented that is necessary because of chil- before encountering the fairy Grandma, and waits for her in bed. classic and the vital issues it both concretely and magically, dren’s magical thinking. Their tales. He will never experience Why is sexuality present? One raises. He can marvel at the fasci- matching the child’s manner of thought is illogical, impulsive the precise situations that occur answer is that the stories are de- nation of the child. But most im- thinking. With their great emo- and omnipotent. They are not sur- in “Grimms’,” but he does fear rived from bawdy folktales. A portant, the child’s enchantment tional and moral power, and with prised that a wolf talks or that death and abandonment. He also more compelling explanation is becomes the teller’s too, and par- their being first heard at an early two people can be retrieved has his own monstrous and de- that the tales include it because ent and child join to share that en- age, they are more than literary. whole from his belly. The little structive wishes. All this is obvi- children are sexual beings. Psy- chantment. It is one of those rare They suggest a model of living girl hearing the story does not ous from even the most cursory choanalysts have long held this moments in adult life when one for the child. simply identify with the little girl observation of preschoolers’ view, which became popular can recapture the magic of one’s “Little Red Riding Hood” is in the tale, as an adult might— play. These tales intuitively ad- through Bruno Bettelheim’s ten- own early youth. about a beautiful girl leaving she becomes Little Red Riding dress such wishes and fears— dentiously brilliant analyses in home to visit her sick grand- Hood. The narrative resonates and allow the child to use the nar- “The Uses of Enchantment.” Dr. Miller, a child psychoanalyst, mother. The heroine starts down with a child’s notion of reality. rative to master them. Little Red Little Red Riding Hood is un- is clinical professor of psychiatry a path, carrying cakes and wine These tales speak directly to chil- Riding Hood not only survives consciously working through her at the George Washington to make Grandma feel better. dren in their own language; by do- the wolf’s cannibalism but she attraction to her own father, who University Medical Center. C} / By Jane Garmey ê There is only a passing men- sights are understandable, tion, for instance, of the Wardian though—the Gribbins had to Mhd -fd ve .v`tjb`p 3wpv}`jvt case, an invention of Nathaniel make certain choices. Less par- Bagshaw Ward that revolution- donable are the skimpy chapter ized plant-hunting in the notes at the back of the book, With the exception of Charles for Malta from England in 1673 Swedish botanist who developed mid-19th century. Ward, a doctor which don’t even tell the reader Darwin, the scientific heroes of and traveled for three years in Eu- a revolutionary system for classi- and naturalist, came up with the which pages they refer to. the great plant-collecting era rope gathering material for “His- fying plants that could be used by idea of putting plants in sealed But “Flower Hunters” does at from the mid-17th century to the toria Plantarum”—a book pub- botanists around the world. Yet glass jars to protect them from least offer a bouquet of anec- late-19th century remain rela- lished without illustration, since Linnaeus traveled little and took the extreme temperatures and dotes. We see British horticultur- tively unrecognized. We know a he was unable to find a sponsor to part in only one expedition out- harsh salt-water spray common alist William Lobb racing from great deal about the voyages pay for the engravings. “Flower side of Sweden, preferring to to long ocean voyages. Before his California to England in 1853 with made by explorers in search of Hunters” ends with Joseph Dal- leave exploration to his students. time, only a fraction of speci- the seedlings of giant sequoia trade routes and riches, much He seems, however, to have been mens ever survived their jour- trees, and we watch as British ex- less about excursions in the completely obsessive. One of his neys. One of the grievances of the plorer and geographer Clements name of botany. The reason may 5pvd} 8td} more charmingly impractical mutineers aboard the British na- Markham sets out to explore the be that plant collectors generally . C`} 6}jaajt `tc =vht 6}jaajt ideas was a flower bed laid out val ship Bounty in 1789 was the forests of Bolivia in 1859, accom- worked on their own and, rather ¨Gev}cª ®® w`fdª Ï+°Ò like a clock face, with each section care lavished on a thousand panied by his wife, his gardener than head up an entire expedi- containing flowers that either breadfruit seedlings collected in and 24 Wardian cases. In 1845, tion, tended to secure a single open or close during a single hour. Tahiti for transport to the West Robert Fortune, on a botanical berth on a naval or trading ship. ton Hooker (1817-1911), who was a Alas, “Flower Hunters” is not Indies; the rebelling sailors trip to China, found himself sail- But the hardships they endured— friend of Darwin’s and whose quite so inventive. The writing is threw the plants overboard. ing on a junk in the Min River the danger, disease and hostility— plant-quests took him to the Ant- pedestrian (“Linnaeus was al- “Flower Hunters” makes no when pirates approached. “When were no less arduous because the arctic, Egypt, New Zealand and ways tossing out ideas . . .”), and pretense of being encyclopedic, the first pirate ship, confident of men were in pursuit of a rare the Himalayas. In Sikkim, near Ti- the chapter-length biographical but I was surprised to find no victory, was only twenty yards golden blossom rather than a bet, Hooker found many rare and sketches are too often superficial. mention of the French plant col- away,” the Gribbins write, “For- city of gold. In “Flower Hunters,” wonderful specimens of rhodo- The authors provide plenty of do- lectors, often Jesuit missionar- tune let fly with both barrels of Mary and John Gribbin tell the dendron. “More than any other in- mestic detail—we learn that Scot- ies, who traveled to China during the shotgun.” The pirates re- stories of 11 of these intrepid dividual,” the Gribbins write, tish botanist David Douglas, of the 17th and 18th centuries. More treated, and Fortune “was hailed plant collectors, whose work laid Hooker “was responsible for the Douglas fir fame, once had his perplexing is the omission of the as a hero by the crew.” Brave the foundations of the modern rhododendron craze that swept coat stolen after he took it off to two John Tradescants, father souls, these flower hunters. science of botany. Victorian England.” climb a tree—but the Gribbins are and son, who were responsible The prologue tells the tale of One of the most interesting less successful at conveying the for the introduction of many new Ms. Garmey writes about gardens John Ray (1627-1705), who sailed chapters is on Carl Linnaeus, the sense of a larger cultural context. plants to England. These over- and gardening for the Journal.
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Hong Kong nist Yundi Li, who has performed with CONCERT such orchestras as the London Philhar- jqdAlicia Keys: monic and Moscow Philharmonic since vee This soulful-voiced R&B star first hit airwaves in 2001 with the winning first place at the International song “Fallin’.” Her debut album, “Songs Chopin Competition in Warsaw in in A Minor,” which would go on to win 2000, here appears with another of five Grammy awards, came on the the world’s leading ensembles, with market at No. 1 in the U.S., and her Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting. The two albums since have done the same. first night Mr. Li will play the Ravel Expect to hear early favorites such as concerto in a program that also in- “If I Ain’t Got You” and “A Woman’s cludes Shostakovich’s Symphony No. Worth,” as well as more recent hits 5; the second night he’ll play the such as “No One” and “Superwoman.” Prokofiev second concerto in a pro- AsiaWorld Arena, AsiaWorld-Expo, gram that also includes Beethoven’s Hong Kong International Airport, Symphony No. 3. Lantau; July 29, 8 p.m. Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Admission: HK$380 to HK$980. 425 Dingxiang Rd., Pudong District; June 20 and 21, 7:30 p.m. 852-3128-8288 Web: www.hkticketing.com Admission: 200 yuan to 1,800 yuan. 86-21-6217-2426 EXHIBITION Web: www.culture.sh.cn Pablo Picasso—The Vollard Suite: The 20th-century Spanish painter was THEATER Hairspray: also a printmaker, and this exhibition This musical—a Broadway brings together 100 of his intaglio show (based on a 1988 movie) that prints—produced by first engraving an last year became a film starring John image onto a plate using acid or a Travolta in drag—comes to Asia live metal point, then applying ink to the for the first time. Set in 1962 Balti- plate and pressing it onto paper. more, it’s the story of how big-haired, These works were commissioned by pudgy Tracy Turnblad beats the odds French art dealer Ambroise Vollard, to become a teen dance star on a lo- and three are portraits of him. cal TV show—and then uses her posi- Thierry LeGoues (Alicia Keys); Marco Borggreve (King’s Singers); National Palace Museum (calligraphy) The University Museum and Art tion to champion racial integration, ruf- Taipei: Gallery, The University of Hong fling feathers but eventually triumph- Lyric Theatre, Shanghai Grand Above, an exploration of calligraphy’s history includes ‘Song on an Ancient Kong, 94 Bonham Rd.; ing over the station’s narrow- Theatre, 300 Renmin Da Dao; “Light-Penetrating” Mirror,’ by Hsien-yu Shu from ‘The Ancient Art of Writing’; Tour: Asia: to July 20, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. minded managers, all to such July 6 to 20, 7:15 p.m. No shows below, The veteran a cappella group the King’s Singers heads for Monday to Saturday, catchy tunes as “Good Mondays, Fridays or Saturdays. Shanghai and Seoul. 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Morning Baltimore,” “Wel- Admission: 150 yuan to 680 yuan. Free admission. come to the ’60s” and 86-21-6217-2426 “Without Love.” Web: www.culture.sh.cn 852-2241-5500 They include “Dom Camillo and Pep- find the deal includes strange neigh- Web: www.hku.hk/hkuag pone,” a series of movies made in bors. All movies are subtitled in En- Singapore the 1950s and ’60s from Giovanni glish. Shanghai FESTIVAL Guareschi’s tales of the comic battles The Arts House, Italian Film Festival: CONCERT This festival, in between a Communist mayor and a 1 Old Parliament Lane; Rotterdam Philhar- its eighth year, shows a range of priest, satirizing post-World June 7 to 15, monic Orchestra: recent and vintage Italian films. War II political clashes; various times. Star Chinese pia- and “A Dream House Admission: S$6 and S$10. Nightmare,” from 2006, 65-6332-6900 the tale of a couple www.theartshouse.com.sg that buys an upscale home only to
Hong Kong: Sydney the soulful-voiced lington, Broadway tunes such as FESTIVAL Alicia Keys “Memory” by Andrew Lloyd-Webber Sydney Film Festival: Now in its and pop hits by the Beatles. 55th year, this international festival Shanghai: Shanghai Concert Hall, offers everything from documentaries Together,” “Start of Something New” and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 11:30 a.m. 60-3-7711-5000 523 Yan’an Rd., Huangpu District; to animation. Focuses this year in- and “Stick to the Status Quo.” and 4 p.m. Sunday. Web: www.axcess.com.my June 20, 7:30 p.m. clude China and Mexico, with movies Manila: Araneta Coliseum, Araneta Admission: S$29.50 to S$59.50. Admission: 100 yuan to 580 yuan. by emerging directors from those Center, Quezon City; July 11 to 20, 65-6348-5555 CONCERT 86-21-6217-2426 countries. Among the highlights of various times. Web: www.sistic.com The King’s Singers: This English sex- Web: www.culture.sh.cn the festival are “Kung Fu Panda,” a Admission: 150 pesos to Kuala Lumpur: Putra Stadium, tet has entertained a cappella for 40 Seoul: Grand Theatre, Sejong mass-release animated film about an 1,340 pesos. National Sports Complex, Bukit years, singing genres from pop to jazz Center, 81-3, Sejong-no, unlikely martial-arts hero, featuring 632-911-5555 Jalil; Aug. 15 to 20, 8:30 p.m., to medieval, recording more than 30 Chongno-gu; June 24, 8 p.m. the voices of Jack Black and Jackie Web: www.ticketnet.com.ph additional 4:30 p.m. show on albums and working with the likes of Admission: 30,000 won to Chan, and “Taxi to the Dark Side,” an Singapore: Singapore Expo, Saturday and Sunday. Sir Paul McCartney. Expect to hear a 80,000 won. Oscar-winning documentary about 1 Expo Drive; Aug. 5 to 10, Admission: 68 ringgit to sampling of Celtic music, jazz songs 82-2399-1114 the use of torture on prisoners by 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, 4 p.m. 248 ringgit. such as “Creole Love Call” by Duke El- Web: www.sejongpac.or.kr the U.S. military. June 4 to 22, various times and venues. Admission: A$17. 61-136-100 Web: www.sydneyfilmfestival.org and www.ticketmaster.com.au Taipei EXHIBITION The Ancient Art of Writing: The his- tory of Chinese calligraphy—once used for works from poetry to official docu- ments—is chronicled in this exhibit, starting from around the Ch’in dynasty in 221 B.C. See elegant brushwork on ancient scrolls, learn about the develop- ment of five major styles of writing, and follow the evolution of techniques to produce a form that eventually al- lowed more self-expression. National Palace Museum, 221 Chih-shan Rd., Section 2; Shih-lin; to June 25, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; to 8:30 p.m. Saturdays. Admission: NT$160. Free after 5 p.m. Saturdays. 886-2-2881-2021 Web: www.npm.gov.tw Tokyo CONCERT Manhattan Jazz Orchestra: Formed in 1979 by New York bandleader David Matthews and Tokyo record producer Shigeyuki Kawashima, this big-band ensemble has released several albums in Japan. On the program are swingy jazz favorites, including “Rhapsody in Blue,” “Spain,” “A String of Pearls” and “Little Brown Jug.” Suntory Hall, Akasaka 1-13-1, Minato-ku; June 22, 3 p.m. Admission: 5,500 yen to 8,500 yen. 81-3-3584-9999 Web: www.suntory.co.jp/suntoryhall Tour: Asia High School Musical on Ice: The teen- age tale—which as a Disney Channel movie became a sensation in the U.S., catapulting stars Zac Efron and Van- essa Hudgens to fame—moves to a new surface. Ice skaters will portray the star basketball player and the new girl in town who audition for the school musical, and their social neme- ses who seek to thwart them. The up- beat songs include “We’re All in This
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