When we were in Japan, we went to McDonald’s. Yeah, I know, lame. But we were waiting for a plane and didn’t have time to hit the ramen place. And you know what? McDonald’s is usually gross, but that was the best damn food I ever had at McDonald’s. Of course, I had the fish, and we were in Tokyo, [...]
When Frank Sinatra recorded My Way, did he know he was singing a classic? Did he know it would become a karaoke favorite? Did he know his song would cause Asians to kill each other? Holy Crap! I can see Filipino men being all macho (maybe Musashi can enlighten me) and I know Asians in general love their karaoke. But [...]
Volcanoes are sweet. Probably not so sweet if you live in the Ring of Fire and have to flee every time the local volcano starts a’smokin’, but they look really awesome. Right now it’s the Filipinos’ turn to run from pyroclastic flow. CNN Article Here’s a couple videos of volcanoes in the Ring of Fire doing cool shit. Mount Sakurajima [...]
Usually after a fight, it’s the wife who runs home to her mom. This woman does the same thing, but only if she beats the shit out of her husband too hard. Kung Fu Wife “We agreed that the beatings should not be too severe, failing which she will have to return to her parents and stay with them for [...]
Did you ever have a crush on those tiny ladies from the Mothra movies? The ones who were guardians of Monster Island or whatever? Well, look what happens when they GET MARRIED! Teeny Brides! After scrolling through all the pictures, I’ve come to the conclusion that these are pics from two ad campaigns, one Japanese and one Korean, that just [...]
According to Newsweek, China’s economy will overtake Japan’s by the end of the year – making them the second-largest economy in the world. Not bad for a bunch of profit-averse commies. So, what does it all mean for the U.S.? Politically, it means that we’ll move ever closer to China; they’ll be necessary for securing Asia in the future (Japan’s [...]
Being a big dork, I’m very interested in cryptozoology, the science of animals that may or may not exist. One of these maybe-maybe not creatures is the legendary Mongolian Death Worm, a hella ugly red worm that is two feet long and has a mouth like the sandworms in David Lynch’s Dune. Recently some crazy cryptozoologist guys ventured into Mongolia [...]
Wednesday marks the longest solar eclipse of the 21st century when a large swathe of Asia, including parts of China and Japan, will be without sunlight for over 5 minutes. The eclipse will appear first at dawn in India’s Gulf of Khambhat just north of of Mumbai. It will move east across India, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan and China before [...]
Huh. After decades of scientific research pinpointing Africa as the so-called ‘Cradle of Life’, one scientist now points to Asia as the home of humanity’s common ancestor…which should do wonders for the demographics of this site, if you catch my drift. If Myanmar, formerly called Burma, is confirmed as being the ancestral homeland of higher primates, or close to it, [...]
An Artist of the Floating World (Kazuo Ishiguro) Ishiguro isn’t really a Japanese author; though he was born in Japan his family moved to England when he was a baby, and most of his books are set there. But this one is set in post- WWII Japan. The main character is an old man, pining for the prewar days when [...]
Some Books About Asia That I Like Farewell, My Concubine (Lillian Lee) Banned in China for many years, this short novel tells of the lifelong friendship between two Peking opera singers. They survive the Cultural Revolution, the destruction of their beloved opera, the tumultuous marriage of one and the unrequited love of the other. The story was made into the [...]
Weird Asia News has listed the 10 weirdest Asian news stories of 2008, sme of which we also mentioned here. The list includes elderly porn stars, a stuck penis, big boobs, a two-faced baby and poison vomit. Top Ten I’d like to comment on that baby, by the way…in America, if you are born with two faces or multiple lumbs [...]
When the current Recession started, I mused to my wife that an extended visit with my Filipino relatives might be in order. Not the ones in California (although that’s long overdue, as well) – but the ones on the other side of the planet. At first the suggestion was just kind of a joke, but as the situation worsened – [...]
If you’ve been reading YM for a while, you might be aware that I am a fan of all things paranormal- from ghosts to UFOs to werewolves. With my favorite holiday coming up on Friday, I’ve decided to post one creepy Asian ghost story every day until Halloween. This tale of love and death and love in death and deathly [...]
If you’d asked me five minutes ago which Asian country has the highest suicide rate per 10,000 people – between Japan and South Korea, I’d have said Japan…and as usual, I’d have been wrong. Nope, the winner of the Suicide Rate Sweepstakes does in fact go to South Korea. I am called to wonder what the suicide rate in North [...]