October 16, 2018
Some Corner of a Foreign Field
The Story of Five New Zealand POW’s Buried in Poznan, Poland A New Zealand expat in Poznan discovers the story of five countrymen buried far from home. First published in…
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August 24, 2018
In Search of My Family’s Jewish History in Lublin, Poland
Walking across the border from Slovakia into Poland felt like crossing into Narnia. The bridge that connects the two countries was covered in snow, surrounded by white mountains and frost…
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July 9, 2018
Surviving Baijiu, China’s Pungent Grain Alcohol
My friend paused, holding the small bottle in his hand. It was dark, and for a moment the streets of Kunming seemed to grow silent. The cars stopped honking. The…
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June 7, 2018
Conquering the World’s Spiciest Hotpot in Chongqing, China
30.1 million people - greater than the population of New Zealand, Australia and Scotland combined. A city of skyscrapers erupting chaotically out of cloud strewn mountains like fungus on a…
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April 24, 2018
Thieves, Horseradish Vodka and St Sophia
How to Get a Meal in Kiev Kiev’s metro makes little sense. Below the main railway station commuters are funneled through an impossible labyrinth of white concrete tunnels, ending in…
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March 28, 2018
Nightfall in Wrocław Square
Western brands in the polished white shopping mall vanish as you exit, take the escalator, and find yourself in Poznan's grey, sooty train station. Down another escalator, outside and across…
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February 11, 2018
American Impediment – Notes from an Interrogation Room
The following events took place at the airport of an affluent city on the east coast of the USA. To protect the privacy of the individuals involved, I will not…
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January 18, 2018
The Refugee Opera Singer from Iran
He was sitting at the table chatting to my friend when I came back from the bathroom. Dressed like a rock star, perfectly coiffed hair, contoured beard, a stud in…
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December 11, 2017
The Astana Express – Night Train Through Kazakhstan
Pause at an intersection to check directions to Almaty railway station. A young man approaches, his thin face shiny with sweat. He goes to speak and his eyeballs swim in…
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November 8, 2017
A Dip in the Caspian Sea
The sweaty grip of another border crossing. Azerbaijan at our backs, watchtowers among the trees. We're waved through a gate, and park in a small hanger. Officials stroll to and…
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