Unusual critters
Posted on 05. Apr, 2017 by Paul Sochaczewski in Alfred Russel Wallace and his assistant Ali
WALLACE’S CRITTERS Some intriguing Southeast Asian critters inspired by Alfred Russel Wallace’s The Malay Archipelago Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1912) explored Southeast Asia for eight years in the mid-19th century, collecting some 125,000 specimens which included thousands of new species. His observations, compiled in his classic The Malay Archipelago, contributed to the fields of biology, evolutionary […]
Read MoreWhy do boys leave home?
Posted on 05. Apr, 2017 by Paul Sochaczewski in Alfred Russel Wallace and his assistant Ali
WHY DO BOYS LEAVE HOME? The rite of passage and the teenage imperative BATANG AI, Sarawak, Malaysia I stood on a ridge near the border between Malaysian Sarawak and Indonesian Kalimantan. I had been gone half the day and had not brought food. Time to return to camp, a damp grouping of leaky impromptu […]
Read MoreGolf and Environment – can golf be good for nature?
Posted on 05. Apr, 2017 by Paul Sochaczewski in Golf
CAN GOLF BE GOOD FOR NATURE? Solving the conundrum. BANGKOK, Thailand I play golf. And I am committed to nature conservation. Is this an insolvable conundrum, or can the two passions be reconciled? “Golf development is becoming one of the most unsustainable and damaging activities to people and the environment,” notes Chee Yoke Ling, […]
Read MoreCheating – if a golfer cheats in the forest …
Posted on 05. Apr, 2017 by Paul Sochaczewski in Golf
IF A GOLFER CHEATS IN THE FOREST, DOES IT COUNT? Rule abuse is rampant among amateurs, yet professionals exhibit saint-like ethics BANGKOK, Thailand “Put me down for a six.” My friend Dan and I looked at each other? “You sure?” we asked. We were playing at a Bangkok-area course in a friendly competition (loser […]
Read MoreNeed/Fear Relationship with Nature
Posted on 05. Apr, 2017 by Paul Sochaczewski in Environment
WHY DO WE LOVE AND NEED NATURE YET TREAT NATURE SO BADLY? Our yin/yang relationship with the natural world is ancient and deep, and understanding the connection could be key in conservation efforts. SARAWAK, Malaysia I’ve written numerous articles and books about the plight of the Penan tribe in Sarawak — human rights abuses […]
Read MoreUncle Joe and Aunt Anisoara
Posted on 05. Apr, 2017 by Paul Sochaczewski in Personal essays
UNCLE JOE AND AUNT ANISOARA Dreaming Eccentric Meets Complicated Sentimentalist CLUJ, Transylvania, Romania The love affair of my uncle and aunt shows us the pitfalls of trying to decipher a relationship. How could I not love an uncle who, when he babysat for me, let me stay up well past my bedtime to watch […]
Read MoreCheng Ho Gardens
Posted on 28. Jul, 2017 by Paul Sochaczewski in Personal essays
CHENG HO GARDENS China reveals an imaginative new tactic in its takeover of the South China Sea. NANYANG AUTONOMOUS REGION, China “I’m going to show you our plans. I trust that you will be discrete with the information.” My host was Horace Wee, chief executive officer of Nanyang, the newest Special Administrative Region of […]
Read MoreWe vs Them
Posted on 05. Apr, 2017 by Paul Sochaczewski in Personal essays
WHEREVER I TRAVEL I’LL REMAIN AN “OUTSIDER” The “we vs them” reality is ancient and universal. BANGKOK, Thailand Since forever, groups of people have recognized the difference between their “own kind” and “outsiders.” In a best case scenario, the welcoming of “other” ideas can be positive — strengthening of the gene pool primarily, also […]
Read MoreNegativity Land
Posted on 28. Mar, 2017 by Paul Sochaczewski in Golf
NEGATIVITY LAND Why do we take such delight in golf’s screw-ups instead of the great moments of success? EVERY COURSE, Everywhere A golfer faces more Dark Side moments than Luke Skywalker. We take a morbid delight when golf legends screw up. And we wallow in our own masochistic moments of crash and burn. Why […]
Read MoreFlying Phallus Fights Forces of Evil
Posted on 11. Mar, 2014 by Paul Sochaczewski in Curious Travel
FLYING PHALLUS FIGHTS FORCES OF EVIL How does the male reproductive organ, “exuberant, slightly askew and sometimes frothy,” protect villagers? NABJI, Bhutan “I can make you a new phallus, no problem.” “But we’re leaving in the morning.” “Trust me.” Figuring that we could always use a bit more protection against demons in our house […]
Read MoreNapalm Be Gone
Posted on 08. Sep, 2013 by Paul Sochaczewski in Golf
NAPALM BE GONE That boom you hear in Vietnam is an explosion of golf courses DALAT, Vietnam My favorite golf course in Vietnam owes its existence to a puppet king, a French architect who restored Roman ruins, and a rich American who craved virgins. * * * I spent part of the Vietnam War period […]
Read More“Trust Us. We Know Better Than You Do”
Posted on 19. Jul, 2011 by Paul Sochaczewski in Environment
“TRUST US, WE KNOW BETTER THAN YOU DO” Brown-brown arrogance is the new standard LOIKAW, Burma Bishop Sotero Phamo argues that “the only way for our rural people to join modern society is through education.” Speaking enthusiastically in his diocese headquarters, which houses what is certainly the best school in the region, Bishop Sotero adds […]
Read MoreA la Recherche de Pondy Perdu
Posted on 12. Jul, 2011 by Paul Sochaczewski in Curious Travel
A LA RECHERCHE DE PONDY PERDU A visit to Pondicherry invokes a bit of France, and a lot of new India PUDUCHERRY,India As Bastille Day events go the reception was rather tepid – a lackluster speech from the French consul, a few plateaux of fromage and saucisson, and a distinct lack of either fireworks or […]
Read MoreHappy birthday Alfred
Posted on 11. Jul, 2011 by Paul Sochaczewski in Alfred Russel Wallace and his assistant Ali
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALFRED Is a man’s most valuable possession his bow and arrow or a butterfly or a memory or simply time? What do you give a guy who lived a hundred and fifty years ago? JIRLAI, Aru, Indonesia What do you give a guy who lived a hundred and fifty years ago? I write […]
Read MoreWilderness in Singapore? Who woulda thought?
Posted on 11. Jul, 2011 by Paul Sochaczewski in Alfred Russel Wallace and his assistant Ali
WILDERNESS IN SINGAPORE? WHO WOULDA THOUGHT? Singapore proved a Coleoptera paradise for Victorian explorer Alfred Russel Wallace; new creatures still emerge BUKIT TIMAH, Singapore Visitors come to Singapore to shop or to learn about other cultures, to close a business deal or attend a conference. A century and a half ago, though, one of Singapore’s […]
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